Fighting
by MaxWaylandGrey
Summary: "Win. For me." Those were her last words, and I plan on fulfilling them. Her death will not go unnoticed. I'll make sure of it myself. -Rated T for mild language. Takes place after Catching Fire. Mockingjay never happened.
1. Ready

**Hello, everyone! I'm totally new at this:) please enjoy and REVIEW to tell me what you think of it!**

**I'll start writing chapter 2 just in case:D.. **

**Disclaimer: Oh.. I don't own The Hunger Games because then I wouldn't be writing here, would I? Think about it.**

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Ready

I slowly open my eyes to stare at what I suppose is my mother talking to Haymitch on the other far end of this too perfect room. It's too white! No doors or windows. But I know better. It reminds me of stuff, horrible stuff if I may say, just that the medicine that keeps me going back into sleep seems to not let me remember. Haymitch looks upset, and, am I hallucinating or is he sober? It's been a while since I last saw him this sober. And let's face it, hallucinating may just be it. My mother keeps shaking her. Out of what? I have no idea.

I wished I was close enough to hear their conversation. That, fortunately, won't be necessary anymore since Haymitch is now getting angry and is about to start yelling. I'm glad because even though I just woke up, I'm exhausted, and I didn't feel like jumping out of bed to spy on them, and since they are in my room, they would notice if I made a move.

Haymitch is raising his voice and I'm able to catch a part of what he's saying. "…might need to abort the whole rebellion thing if Katniss is not ready! You need to get her better! Soon!"

Abort? The rebellion? What is Haymitch talking about? And who says I'm not ready? I'm ready! I'm about to yell at him when my mother starts talking in loud whispers at him. It's obvious that she is getting tired of Haymitch.

"Katniss is under a state of depression! I cannot just wrap her in bandages and hope for her to heal! It's not that way Haymitch! And why do you need her for the rebellion? There are many people here who would just start firing their guns at the Capitol the moment you request it! So why do you need her?" She is shouting by now in frustration.

Wow. I had never seen that expression of determination in my mother's face when talking to someone, or may I say arguing. I have just seen it when there is a sick or wounded person and she is doing whatever she can to heal them. Those moments were when I thought she was actually a strong person, able to defend herself, but I thought I knew better. Now, seeing her like this gives me confidence, confidence that she had not been able to give me after my father's death.

Depression? Oh, now I remember. I feel a bang of pain in my chest as I slowly realize what she is talking about. The Quell. District 12 destroyed. My house destroyed. And I mean the one that was ours before I won The Hunger Games, for the first time. The one in the Victor's Village wasn't our home. It didn't feel like home. The woods. The hob, even though it was burned by the peacekeepers before. Peacekeepers. What an irony, they brought anything but peace. Darius, one of our old peacekeepers, who became an Avox after trying to stop Gale's whipping.

Gale. There goes another, harder bang to my chest. My hunting partner, my confidant, my best friend. He made it but I haven't seen him since I've been in 'a state of depression' as my mother likes to call it.

Everything destroyed. That is why this room looks so familiar. It looks like the room where the doctors took me to heal after I had won the first Hunger Games. Let's face it, it reminds me of how scared I was for Peeta, if he had made it. Peeta. Peeta!

That's when I feel another bang, twice as hard as the last one in the chest. Peeta. My suppose lover and by now my suppose 'husband'. I'm still very confused on what I feel for him. But let's face it, if it wasn't for him, I would have died when I was twelve. My savior. Peeta is out there, captured by the Capitol. Being tortured. Physically. Mentally! Who knows how! I feel my eyes watering, but no. My mom cannot be right! I'm not in a state of depression!

"Katniss has to go! The people will think that if their leaders don't go, in this case being Katniss, then why should they go? Besides, she's better than two weeks ag…" Haymitch stops talking and both my mother and him turn around to look at me as I stand up and make my way to them.

Haymitch is right. I knew this of course, but now hearing him saying it, I somehow believe it more. I hold back my tears because if I led them flow, it will be prooved that my mother is right and I'm not ready. But the question is who cares? Who cares if I'm ready or not? What is important is getting Peeta back! To make the Capitol pay for what they have done. For all the death's of those innocent children. For Cato, Clove, Foxface, Glimmer. For Thresh. But most of all, for Rue. And now with Peeta being tortured by the Capitol? Who knows how much longer he will survive! No, I won't let them take him away from me too.

"I'm ready." I'm surprised to hear how serious my voice came out. You can see Haymitch smile a bit and my mom is about to argue when I cut her off. "No, I need to go. I'm in no state of depression as you say I am, mom. Haymitch is right. I need to be strong for everyone out there. For Prim. For Posy, Vick, Rory. For Peeta." Right there without warning, a small tear falls at the mention of his name, but I don't break into sobs as my mother would have expected. I stayed there, waiting for her to challenge me.

To my surprise, she just nods her head and gives me a hug. I return it, and not because I'm forced to return, but because right now I need a mother.

With that done, Haymitch tells me to get ready. Ugh, that word again. Can't they use something else? Anyways, then he says that he will come for me in an hour.

With that in mind, I go take a shower, where I let out all the pain I had been holding in front of my mother and Haymitch. And for some strange reason, when I finish, I feel relief. Not like other times that I would cry and cry and when I stopped I would still have the feeling to keep crying.

Now I feel like I will finally do something to get him back. The Capitol will suffer for whatever they have done to him. It's not enough to send Peeta and myself to The Hunger Games, not only once, but twice? They have done too much damage. Not just to me, but also to Peeta, and to all the families of the children that have died in The Hunger Games! I promise that they'll suffer. President Snow. I swear, with all my might.

He will suffer.


	2. Sweet Prim

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games sadly.**

**Thanks for the reviews:) This chapter is dedicated to my friend 07XReflectional(love you and thank you!)**

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Sweet Prim

Haymitch must be desperate to carry this out as fast as possible because he comes exactly an hour after he left, just like he said. By the time I'm opening the closet, he is banging furiously at the door telling me to hurry up. I can't help but think of Effie, who before would come knocking on my door announcing the start of another 'big, big, big day'. Effie. Where is she? Does the Capitol have her? Are they torturing her like Peeta? I hope not, but it is the most possible thing right now.

"Give me a second, Haymitch! I'm almost done." I yell at him.

"The second already passed, sweetheart. Now get moving!" He growls and keeps banging on the door.

Finally, I put whatever was in sight first and open the door. He seems relieved that I'm finally done. He takes me out of the room and starts talking fast.

"Well, like you already know, the Capitol has captured Peeta, Johanna, and Enobaria. We sort of have a plan but your mother would not let us proceed since she said you were in no condition, but you just proved you are. Now, we will have a meeting later in the day were we will tell you our strategy. Right now I'm taking you into the Training Center. You need to gain your strength fast if we want this to work."

We stop in front of the elevator and he tells me to go in.

"Aren't you coming with me?" I ask since he is not coming in with me as well.

"No. I have to get the meeting ready. But don't worry, sweetheart. Nobody will try to kill you here." He says it in a sarcastic tone that I don't like, but if it means anything, I let it go. He presses the button that has a strange symbol that I can only think it's and insect. An insect? That is strange but I won't start asking questions.

Haymitch is right, like always when it comes to this stuff. I need to gain some strength if I'm going to be leading a rebellion. Besides, I think I have gotten thinner since I came out of the arena. Now I think. When was the last time I ate anything? I don't remember but I'm not hungry so they must have been feeding me, right?

The elevator finally opens and I can't believe what I see. This is the Training Center. But I mean it! It's the Training Center. There is the knot-tying station, the archery station, and the camouflage station. I'm not sure if I'm just imagining this but it looks real. That is when I notice Finnick hitting dummies with his trident and I know that what I'm seeing is true. He sees me and looks surprised. He starts walking my way and is smiling. Why is he smiling? Can't he see in all the danger we are in?

"Seems like you finally woke up." He says this in his seductive purr voice. "Haymitch said something about you coming back, but I didn't believe him since the last time I saw you, you were still crying. I see he found how to get you out of bed."

I don't respond. I'm not listening to what he is saying. I'm still processing that we are in the Training Center in the Capitol. That answers why maybe my room is exactly like the one I was in the Capitol. We are in the Capitol! Finnick starts laughing at what I guess is my face. That brings me back.

"What?" I ask him somewhat annoyed.

"Don't worry. We are not in the Capitol." He says answering my silent questions. "I bet I had the same expression when I first came in here."

"Why did they make it exactly like the one in the Capitol?"

"I think the Capitol actually made it and since they didn't like it they just stopped working on it and left. Really bad idea if you never thought that a group of rebels would use it against them." He says while still laughing at my face which I think is a mix of confusion and anger.

"I think you would have done better if you had done what that girl over there did. She is mad at the Capitol for killing her parents and her district. She has been focusing her anger at the dummies. She is really good with the knife."

That's when I see her. Madge. She is furiously throwing knives at all the dummies. Once in a while she would let out a scream. What is fascinating is that she hits the dummies in lethal parts that would guarantee death at the moment. This gets me even more confused. Madge? I never thought of her being able to kill.

"Madge?" I ask.

"You know her? Well I'm not surprised. You two are from the same District."

I ignore him and walk towards Madge. She seems to be tired and glances my way. The sight of her face leaves me full of sadness. She lost the two most important people in her life. Maybe her mom was not with her but she was still her mom. And Mayor Undersee. He was a really good person.

"Katniss!" She screams and throws herself to me and hugs me. She starts crying and all I can do is return her hug. I can't tell her everything is going to be okay because it's not. Well maybe not to her. She just lost her parents. There's nothing I can do about that.

"Madge? Why are you doing this? This is not who you are!" I tell her when she is finished crying.

"I know. I know. But I just can't stand that.. that.." And with that she starts sobbing again. She doesn't need to say it. I know what she means. She can't stand that the Capitol decides who dies and lives just by the pressing of a button. She couldn't be more right.

"I also had to gain strength if I wanted to go on the mission." What? Madge is going to the mission?

"You're going to the mission? No, Madge. You can't! If something goes wrong… I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Katniss, I have to do this. I'm sick of the Capitol! They destroyed District 12! They destroyed all those families. They destroyed my family! Like it or not, I'm going."

The loss of her parents has made her strong. I almost don't recognize her, but she is right. I end up just nodding.

"So I see you like knife throwing." I gesture at her dummy full of knives.

She laughs. "Yes. It was a kind of hidden talent." We both start laughing.

"Well Prim is not doing bad, either. I come to take care of her sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Then she points towards the archery station and asks. "She didn't tell you?"

"GALE!" I thought that I would be sort of happy to see him again since last time we talked was about two weeks ago when I came back from the arena but.. How could he?

"Katniss!" Prim screams and both she and Gale turn around to face me. He looks happy to see me well but when he looks at how furious I am, his face changes to that of fear, maybe. Prim on the other hand, runs to me happy and hugs me.

"Katniss! You're back! I was about to go visit you!" Yes. Prim has come every single day to see me and cheer me up, or at least tries to. She tells me stories of Buttercup, her ugly cat, and of Lady, the goat I gave to her on her tenth birthday. She would actually make me smile once in a while. But right now I can't smile, I have to confront Gale.

"Hi, Prim. Umm.. I need to go talk to Gale." She starts to protest but I don't listen. I start walking to where Gale is standing. Prim follows me.

"Catnip! You're better!" I ignore his comments and get right to the point.

"What did you think you were doing?" My voice is steady but I'm mad, furious even.

"Katniss, I know you don't like it but.." I cut him off right there.

"How can I like that you have been teaching Prim how to SHOOT!" I'm yelling to him by now. Prim gets in between the two of us before I do something stupid.

"Katniss, It's not what you think! He was teaching me because I asked him to!" Prim says. Why would Prim do that? She can't even see me killing a fly because she feels bad for it.

"But, Prim! Why would you want to learn how to shoot? Does mom know about this?" I ask her even though I already know the answer.

"No." She tells me somewhat ashamed.

"Prim, you don't have to do this! It's not like if you are going to the mission!"

"But Katniss.. I am."


	3. Positions

**Here you go chapter 3!**

**Enjoy:DD**

**Disclaimer: I doubt I look anything like Suzanne Collins...:DD**

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Positions

So it comes back. I thought it had been a dream, well mostly a nightmare. I think I was still asleep but I could still hear them. Gale and Haymitch were talking in my room. Haymitch said something about me not being able to endure a loved one going into the mission. At that moment I thought he was talking about Gale. And who knows, maybe he is going but I just can't let Prim go! What if the mission goes wrong and…? No, I can't let myself think negatively. I don't even know what this mission is about. That is what today's meeting is about.

"You knew about this and didn't tell me?" I'm now addressing Gale who, if he was teaching Prim how to shoot, had to know about this.

"Yes, Katniss, I knew. Believe me, I wanted to tell you but-"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" I'm now angry and yelling at him. How could he know the danger Prim is and not do anything about it?

"Katniss, calm down. Yes I knew and I wanted to tell you but Prim and Haymitch made me promise to not tell you a thing, and since I did want to tell you, they didn't let me go see you at all." He says while walking me to a chair. By now Madge and Finnick has joined to see what the whole commotion was about. Prim follows.

That makes sense. He hasn't been to see me since I came from the arena where he told me that District 12 was destroyed. After that I thought that he just didn't want to see me since I started asking about Peeta and crying. Now I know why he wouldn't come to my room.

"Okay, but either way, Prim is not going! I've gone two times into an arena to endure Prim's life. I'm not just going to throw away those two years of suffering because Haymitch wants to! I'll talk to him today in the meeting."

"No, Katniss! I have to go. I will go. What I have to do is very important and not everyone can do it! Not even you Katniss!" Prim says.

I think about what she just said. If I can't do what she can, she will either be there to heal, cook, arrange flowers, play the flute, or something like that. I believe is healing because I don't think they will get her as a cook in the Capitol since it's obvious that she is too young to be a woman even if they made her look older. That's when it hits me! She is little! She will be able to scurry in wherever! But then… Why was she learning to use a weapon? Will she kill anyone? No. Prim can't kill a fly, less kill a person!

"Okay, maybe not me, but there has to be someone else who can and will! I'll talk to Haymitch later. Right now I want to shoot something." Prim decides to stop arguing with me and I'm glad because I barely realized how desperate I am to get my hands on a bow and arrow.

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After about two hours of shooting, they call all the ones involved down for the meeting. I'm glad I'm not going alone. Gale, Madge, Finnick, and Prim are with me. I feel like I have been forgetting someone, I just don't know who. Well, I'll take care of that later. Right now I'm more concerned with the way Gale and Madge are acting. Gale is whispering into Madge's ear and she is giggling. Have I missed anything during these two weeks? No. Maybe it was before. Maybe when I was in the Quell with Peeta. Who knows? Maybe it was way before that. I'll have to ask Madge later.

I don't know where this meeting's room is, so I just follow after Finnick while Prim tells me how much she enjoys being in the Training Center. I don't listen that much because I have other things in my mind. What will this plan of Haymitch consist of? What is Prim supposed to do? Will she be in any type of danger? If she is, I won't let her do it.

We get there rather fast. The first person I see is Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker of the last Hunger Games, the Quell. I can see he is happy to see that I'm feeling better but I just don't like him. I think it's because he reminds me of those days in the arena with Peeta, Finnick, Mags, Johanna, Wiress, and Beetee. Mags and Wiress didn't make it alive. Just Peeta, Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee, and Peeta and Johanna are in the Capitol. That only leaves me, Finnick, and Beetee. Beetee! That's who I've been forgetting! Last time I saw him he was connected to all these types of machines to keep him from dying. Where is he? Is he still alive or have they finally let him go? I will wait. I'll have to get answers someway.

"Good to see you back, Katniss." That's Plutarch talking. I nod and sit next to Prim and Madge. Gale sits next to Madge and Finnick next to Prim. There are about twenty more people sitting in the room. I suppose they are all involved in this mission.

"Well, let's get down to business. We had this emergency meeting to tell everyone that since our dear Katniss is doing better, we will be able to go on with the mission. Now, since we are all ready, we will go on and proceed in a week from today." Everyone seems to be chattering happily about the fact that they will do it now and get it over with. I look over at Prim. She has a smile on her face but I can tell that she is nervous.

"Now, calm down everyone. All of you know the plan except Katniss here, so I would like to go over it so we will know what we will be doing." With that said, they start passing out booklets. I don't know why but, I think that it's too thin to have a plan to carry out the rebellion and save Johanna and Enobaria, but most importantly, Peeta.

So this is what we are going to be doing. Plutarch says that the Capitol is expecting us to either to go underground or above ground. He says that the Capitol has Peacekeepers in all the underground subways. I wonder what he means by subways. Anyways, going above ground means going in hovercrafts or these things called helicopters. The Capitol will know instantly if we get there by hovercraft so I guess that only leaves walking. But that will take too long if you think about it.

And I'm right. We are going to go walking. Supposedly that's the plan. I wonder if they have thought of how long it will take us to go walking to the Capitol from here. That leaves me with another question I haven't thought about. Where are we? That thought is quickly put away when I hear Plutarch about to explain what will happen when we get to the Capitol.

It's a good plan but I still don't like the position that Madge and Prim will be in. When the meeting is over, I walk over to where Haymitch is.

He knows that I want to change what Prim and Madge will be doing so when I get over to him he quickly tells me to shut up. "I don't want to hear it. We have been planning this since you came out of the Quell and we are not going to change it because you don't want your friends and sister in trouble. They already made up their mind. Sorry, sweetheart."

We all get out of the meeting room and Prim quickly tells me that she is tired and that she will go get some rest. I tell her that I'll take her to her room but she says that it's okay. I would really want sometime alone with her to talk but she does look tired so I let her go. Madge volunteers to take me to my room and Gale tells us he will see us tomorrow in the Training Center. Then he smiles at Madge. Madge smiles back, then he leaves. I need to know what is going on between them.

When we are far from everyone else, I go ahead and ask her. "So you and Gale have become good friends?" She lets out a nervous laugh and then shrugs. "Well you could say that."

Well, not the type of answer I was going for, but I'll take it. I won't pressure her. So I go on ahead with my other questions.

"So, what is this place? I mean, where are we?"

I think I take her away from her own thoughts because she seems startled. "Oh. We are in District 13. Well, the outsides of District 13. We are inside this mountain that was a bit off the side of District 13."

"So, the whole District 13 thing was true? It does exist?"

"Well, in a way yes. But District 13, the real District 13, is still in ruins. The people here wouldn't risk the Capitol coming to check on the ruins and find a newly improved District so, that's why they made it inside the mountains."

"So, how did all of you get out of District 12?"

"Umm, well, I was walking by myself to the square to watch the Games. The school gave us the day off. Then I saw your mom and Prim and she saw me. I went over to say hi. Then she asked me if I wanted to go see the Games with them. I didn't want to go since they were going to Gale's house, but Prim insisted and I really didn't want to watch them alone." She pauses. "When you shot the arrow, Gale heard helicopters and told us to hurry over to the fence. After some hours of walking unto the woods, a hovercraft appeared and picked all of us up."

"The Capitol captured you? Then how are you here?" I ask.

"No, no, no. Luckily, the hovercraft was being functioning by the people here in District 13. Then they brought us here. Unfortunately the rest of the people in District 12 weren't as lucky as us." A small tear falls to her cheek. I know what she's talking about. She is talking about her parents.

I exhale and realize that I had been holding my breath all this time. I'm about to ask her about Beetee, but decide against it. Besides, she is upset and tired and I think Haymitch would be the right person to ask, so I go ahead and ask her where his room is. Surprisingly, his room is just doors away from mine. I think I'll go in the morning to ask him. Madge tells me where her room is if I want to go anytime. Then she leaves.

I go into my room and lay in bed. I should take a shower but I'm exhausted. Too many things happening in one day can get a person really tired, so once I'm under my covers I go to sleep, wishing that by the time we get to the Capitol, nothing bad happens to Peeta. I think I'm actually doing this more for myself than for Peeta. I don't know how much longer I will keep my sanity if he is not here, with me.

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	4. Answers

**Sorry for the long wait:D I hope this chapter is worth it. I'll try to update sooner.:)**

**This chapter is for 07XReflectional and Candace:D you two helped me a lot on wednesday! jajaja**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Just this plot:D **

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Answers

I wake up screaming, as usual, looking for my comfort blanket, Peeta, only to remember how the Capitol has him. I felt miserable, but then I remembered all that we are doing to get him. Then I remembered what I wanted to do today: talk to Haymitch. I've been so centered on my hate for the Capitol that I have forgotten that he used us as well. And I mean Peeta and myself. He used us as a piece of his own game, one that neither Peeta nor I was included. Now I didn't even feel like seeing him again. But I know I have to talk to him. I need to get my answers. I need to be completely aware of everything happening.

I get up, shower, get ready, and get out of my room. I go directly to Haymitch's room. I'm about to knock when I hear him talking. By the volume I could bet he's angry. A small smile creeps to my mouth. Old Haymitch never changes. But then, what I hear next startles me and wipes away my smile.

"But Haymitch! She is too fragile! I will not let her go!" That is Gale's voice. I don't think he is talking about me because there is no point on trying to get me out of this. I'm the face of the rebellion and it's necessary that I go. And fragile is one thing I am not. But then, who is he talking about?

"And since when do you care about her this much? Besides, she already made up her mind. She wants to go! She is vital for the plan to work out! She is trained and if we took her out at this point there would be nobody to take her place." Haymitch responds and he sounds like he has been drinking, but just a bit.

"But she will be too close to President Snow! If he realizes something, the first one in trouble will be her since she will be the one to change the paperwork." I know who he is talking about. Madge. This confirms my suspicions.

Gale is trying to protect Madge! Now I'm mad. Not at Gale, but at Haymitch. Why would Haymitch listen to Gale but not to me! Yesterday he just waved me off when I was trying to get Madge and Prim out of the plan.

"Listen, kid. You will be in the Capitol as well. No need to worry, right? If you want, we will even make you two neighbors! How about that?" I can't hide my smile as he is using sarcasm. I'm pretty sure Gale does not like this tone of voice.

Silence. Then, all of the sudden, the door opens and Gale is in front of me. Of course, I didn't hear him coming.

"Hey, Catnip. What are you doing here?" He asks.

"I was waiting for you two to stop arguing so I could talk to Haymitch."

"Oh. Um, have you been here a long time?" He asks, somewhat embarrassed. I don't remember ever seeing him embarrassed.

"Long enough to see you fail like I did." He shrugs. I can tell he knows that I know something's up between him and Madge.

"Well, we are done. Are you going to the Training Center later?" He asks trying to change the subject.

"Yes. I will get Prim and we will go together."

"Okay. Well, then. It's good to see you better." Then he leaves.

"Well, sweetheart. Are you coming in or what?" Haymitch's voice makes me jump as I forgot he was right there the whole time.

I go into his room and sit in the chair that I guess Gale sat on. Haymitch sits in a chair in front of me. I was right. Haymitch has been drinking, but not that much. He barely has taken a couple of sips out of his bottle.

"I hope you didn't come for the same reasons as your _cousin_ over there." He puts too much emphasis in the word cousin.

"No. I came for answers." All of the sudden, I can't find the questions I was about to ask. I'm still thinking of this Gale/Madge situation.

He sighs. "Hit me with whatever you've got."

Then I remember. "Beetee. Where is he? What happened to him?"

He grunts. I'm not sure why. "He got better. He sort of helped us with this, but his plans are not that good without Wiress. I guess his heart was ready to die. He didn't make it."

I feel pain immediately. He was like a school teacher. The nice school teacher that you could trust. And now, he was gone. Just like Wiress.

"Oh." Is all I manage to say.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you trusted him."

We sit there for some time in silence. Then I remember what I came here for and compose myself quickly.

"What happened when President Snow realized that we had escaped?" This question has been bugging me for some time already. I couldn't just think that he would be happy having Peeta, Johanna, and Enobaria captured.

"Well, first of all, he claimed that you, Peeta, Johanna, Finnick, and Beetee died in the explosion. Not a very wise thing to say when you don't have proof of what happened. This just made most of the Districts upset. Maybe even mad. Some started rebelling but failed." He's not done. I know it. I sit there in silence waiting for him to keep going.

He sighs before continuing. "I shouldn't be telling you this. You have to promise that you won't tell Finnick _anything._" He puts enough emphasis in the word 'anything' telling me that he is serious. I nod.

"The Capitol knows about Finnick loving Annie, the crazy girl from his District. She's the one that Mags volunteered for in the Quell. After the explosion, the Capitol went to District 4 for her. They have her captured just like they have Peeta and Johanna. They want to use them as bait." Bait. He means that they will use Peeta against me.

"Does that mean that... they will torture Peeta until I turn myself in to the Capitol?"

He nods. There is something in his last statement that doesn't quite fit. He said that the Capitol just has Peeta, Johanna, and now Annie. What happened to Enobaria?

"And Enobaria? You didn't mention her being held captive."

He hesitates. This is not a good sign. "You know that the Capitol needs to have a victor, sweetheart." What kind of question is that? Of course I know. That thinking got me to giving Peeta those berries in our first Hunger Games. That kind thinking is what triggered all this. He knows this of course.

"They claimed her victor." I say in a statement. I know that's what happened.

"Exactly. Since she was hunting you down in the games, President Snow figured that she could have nothing to do with everything that was happening. He couldn't be more wrong." What?

I remember something I saw in the games. I was bleeding to death because Johanna had stabbed me in the arm to the get the tracker out of me. I was lying next to Beetee waiting for our end to come. Then Finnick and Enobaria came looking for me since I had just been calling for Peeta. They couldn't see me since I was in the floor camouflaged with the ointment Haymitch had sent us for our skin. I was about to kill them for Peeta so that he would have just one more enemy to kill. Then I remembered that the Capitol was the real enemy and not Finnick or Enobaria. That's when I aimed Beetee's knife with the wire to the small wavering square and fired. That was his plan all along. During the explosion, the hovercrafts came for us.

"She was in our side all the time?" I find it hard to believe. She wanted me dead!

Finnick and Enobaria had been together. Neither Finnick nor Enobaria was trying to kill the other one. I had not thought about that until now.

"Yes, yes she was." Haymitch says, bringing me back.

"What do you mean she was?" He has this unreadable expression in his face. I don't know what he is trying to hide.

"President Snow killed her two days ago."

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**I wouldn't mind if you don't review:D I'm happy if you just subscribe to story alerts or whatever else:D **


	5. Good

**Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, so I won't even mention it..[too late]**

**Thanks to all my reviewers and sorry for updaiting so slow, I've been busy, I hope I can get a chapter up soon, I'll promise myself to get a chapter up soon.:D**

**Now please enjoy.**

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Good

"Dead." I repeat. This is just what I had dreamed a few days ago. Only a bit differently.

It had been Peeta, not Enobaria. It was quite simple for President Snow. He just had to press a button that would send every Peacekeeper to kill Peeta. Only they thought that he needed to suffer, and make me suffer on the way, by killing him painfully slowly. It was somehow like Cato had died. They put him in armor and got him in a cage full of mutts. After a few hours, when the mutts had already ripped him to parts, they grabbed him and put him in a transparent room with four walls. All of the sudden, fog started coming from everywhere. I knew it wasn't normal fog when I saw Peeta twitching. It was like the fog in the Quell. I saw him slowly disintegrating. Worst of all, I couldn't stop watching him! Every time I tried to look away, my eyes would end up seeing him again. I couldn't wake up until Peeta had died. I was sobbing and then President Snow was in my face laughing. Then I woke.

"Yes, sweetheart. Dead." Haymitch brought me back.

I couldn't answer him anything. The only thing I could think was, who was next? Johanna? Annie? Peeta? No, Peeta couldn't die. Nobody but him could use words as he can. I could barely say anything. I've never been good with words. The rebellion needed him. The people of Panem needed him. But something that has dawned on me has been bothering me. I think that I need him as well.

Somehow I managed to find my voice again. "B-but, that doesn't make sense! Why would President Snow kill the victor of the Quell? Wouldn't that bring uprisings in the Districts?"

"There have been uprisings already before the incident. As to your other question, Peacekeepers caught Enobaria in the Capitol talking to the doctors and nurses about rebelling against President Snow. News got to President Snow and the Peacekeepers were to kill her immediately. Since she was still in 'recovery', he told Panem that she died in the process."

Ugh. This makes me sick. The situation. The lies! But mostly, President Snow makes me sick! Does he think he is playing a game of chess or what? He thinks he can just manipulate people in to believing every word that comes out of his blood-smelling mouth.

I feel like screaming. I feel like crying. I'm confused on what I'm feeling. I just want to go to my room, lock myself up, and scream until I lose my voice.

And I do.

I storm out of Haymitch's room, not even apologizing for leaving. I'm not thinking clearly. I need… space. I'm just opening my door when a familiar hand touches me in the arm and makes me stop.

"Prim! What are you doing here?" I'm completely confused.

She giggles. "I knew you would forget to come for me to my room. Now let's go. I need to keep practicing."

Oh. Right! I was supposed to get Prim to the Training Center. I laugh. This is the thing. Prim can make me laugh at the most insignificant thing. She almost makes me forget of how messed up the situation is. Almost. I nod and we go to the elevator.

I hadn't seen how the elevator actually is from the inside. It has silver insect engravings all around. You can see bees, fireflies, ladybugs, and dragonflies. Well, there are more insects. I can't find the button that leads us to the Training Center. Fortunately, Prim knows which button and it takes me a second to see that it's actually not a button. It's the insect that I can't actually place in my mind.

"What is that?" I ask Prim, who I guess she would know as well.

"Oh, it's a wasp." Prim answers.

"A wasp? Again, I repeat, what is that?" Prim giggles a little bit.

"It's an insect, Katniss. It got extinct in the time of District 13's rebellion."

"So, why would they use it as a button? It's not even a pretty insect."

"Oh, well, as far as I know, they are not using it because it's pretty. Plutarch told me that in the time before Panem existed, insects had meanings. In this case wasps meant order, communication, involvement, development, progress, team-work, et cetera, et cetera."

When she finishes is when I realize that this is the only wasp in the elevator. The rest are grasshoppers and different type of insects that I don't even recognize. I wonder how much time it took them to make the elevator like this.

"Plutarch told me it took them about a year to do this elevator." She answers my question as if she had read my mind.

"I suppose that wasps are prettier after they give them such symbolism." I say. There is a moment of silence while I process everything. "Then, Prim, why didn't they just use a mockingjay?"

"I asked Plutarch the same thing and he told me that if the Capitol was to invade District 13, the Training Center would be the best place to hide, you know, since it has weapons and food. The Capitol people would not be able to find the button that leads to the Training Center. Besides, they would never think that we used a wasp as the button." She says this with a smile in her face.

The elevator finally opens. Prim grabs my hand and leads me to the archery station. This somehow doesn't seem right. I don't know how I can teach Prim to shoot. And by being here, in a Training Center that looks exactly like the one in the Capitol, it feels like is Prim is going in to the Hunger Games. I can't bare the thought. Prim wakes me from my thoughts by handing me a bow and a sheath of arrows.

"Katniss, I've seen you shoot in the Hunger Games, but I have never seen you shoot when you are not running for your life and I would really like to see." She pleads me with those beautiful blue eyes that are so much like Peeta's. It hurts just to see her eyes, but Prim wants to see me shoot, so I'm going to show her.

I'm shooting. It feels incredibly good to be back in my nature. I'm shooting at targets in the air, like the time before the Quell, in the Training Center, where I was just shooting and all of the sudden everybody was watching. I can feel the eyes of all the people around me boring on me. When I'm satisfied, I look back to Prim. She has this puzzled look that she seems happy but at the same time… sad?

"What's wrong, Prim?"

"It's just… you shoot! And I mean it. I mean, not even Gale shoots like you do. You have the precision, the technique, everything! I wish I was as good as you."

I let out a breathy laugh. "Prim, you are good at everything I'm not. And let's face it, that's a lot! You don't need to shoot like me to be good. You are good all by yourself."

With that said, she hugs me really tight, like the type of hugs that almost choke you to death, but I hug her equally as hard. Then, she let's go and tells me she wants to go help our mother.

I accompany her to the elevator and out of the Training Center. When we are out we say our good-bye's and leave our separate ways.

I consider going to my room, but that would leave me alone with my sadness, and I don't feel like pitting on myself. So I go the opposite way to see if I can find Gale. We need to talk about what happened in the morning.

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**If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me.:D**


	6. Tears

**This chapter is for all my reviewers! Thank you all of you! This chapter is for the people that LOVE cliff hangers!**

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Tears

I ran into an attendant. But I mean, literally ran into him. We smacked into each other. He was carrying bowls of soup. We both fell backwards, while the bowls fell on top of us. I don't care so much about cuts, but burns are different. We both desperately went to the restroom and tried to wash ourselves with cold water. After we thought that our burns weren't as bad we ended up laughing. It felt awkward since I haven't laughed with someone like this since… since Peeta gave me the pearl in the Quell. I will never forget those words of our airheaded escort, Effie Trinket. "If you put too much pressure in coal, it turns into pearls." After calming ourselves a little bit he gave me his name.

"My name is Gared. Sorry for… for... you know…" He says pointing at our burns. I guess he's not good with words just like me.

"Nice to meet you, Gared. And don't worry. It was actually my fault. I never should've started running like that."

"Hey, it's okay! At least the soup managed to get away from my face." That's when I see him. He has brown hair, slightly long. Must be about eighteen or nineteen years old. But the thing that catches my attention is his eyes. They are brown, but they have this glint, I suppose, that shows joyfulness. It's easy to see that he is a happy guy. How I wish I could be happy like him.

I sigh. "You are very vain for being an attendant." And once the words are out I wished I had kept them in. Gared surprises me by laughing at what I just said.

"Attendant?" And he kept laughing. His laughter was so full of happiness that it made me smile just a bit.

"So, I suppose that means you are not an attendant?"

"No, no. I just went to get food for my friend and myself. See, we just came from the Training Center. Madge was pretty tired for throwing knives around so I offered to go get the food."

"What? You know Madge?" I'm clearly confused.

"Yeah! She's pretty good with the knives. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about myself. I pretty much suck at throwing knives." He pauses. "I see you know her."

"Umm… yes, she is my friend." An awkward silence passes. "Well, I guess you should go back to her. She must be waiting for her soup."

"Right! I should get more and be a little bit more careful." He says it with a playful smile. Then he leaves.

He's already halfway through the hall when I remember I would like to ask him something.

"Hey, Gared, wait up." He stops. "I was wondering if you know where Gale's room is."

"Oh, of course. Well, just go straight and you should see his door. It's the last door, right before the dead end."

"Okay. Thank you Gared."

"You're welcome, Katniss." And with that he walks off. I realize he is the first person that I have spoken to that I didn't know before. I also realize I never told him my name, but then I remember that everybody knows who I am. All courtesy of the Hunger Games.

As I walk through the hall, I think about Madge being Gared's friend. He is a really nice guy. I guess I can live with it.

I knock at the door that is supposed to be Gale's. But the person that opens the door is not Gale.

I've seen him before in the Training Center. He is one of those people who are just impossible to forget. He is a tall guy with dirty blonde hair. His eyes are like non I have never seen! I suppose they are blue, but the color is so intense that it makes them look purple! He's good looking and I suppose he's from District 4 since he has a tan that looks so much like Finnick's.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was looking for Gale. I think I got the wrong room." I start heading to the other door when he stops me.

"No, umm, this is Gale's room." He can't be older than sixteen and looks nervous. "He just went to give something to Finnick. Do you want to wait for him? He should be here in any minute." He says moving away from the entrance so I can come in.

"Yes. I think I'll wait for him." I enter the room and sit in the first chair I see.

"I'm Johnny." He holds up his hand so I can shake it.

"I'm Katniss. I think you knew that already." I shake his hand.

"Yeah. You are very famous around here." He manages a breathy laugh.

"So-" Just then, I'm interrupted by Gale opening the door.

He notices that I'm in his room. "Hey, Catnip! What brings you here?" He asks very innocently, which tells me that he knows what I came here for.

I'm about to answer when Johnny interrupts me. "Well, I think I'll leave you two to talk. Nice to meet you, Katniss. See you later, Gale." With that, Johnny leaves.

"I see you met Johnny. Cool guy. He's really good with snares." I think he catches that I didn't come to talk about Johnny because he stops talking when he sees me. "So, what's wrong?"

"Well, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted in the Training Center yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"No, it's okay. Believe me. I would also be mad if they told me Rory had to go too. I understand."

"Umm… I also wanted to know what's up with you and Madge."

He shifts uncomfortable. "Nothing, really." He looks me in the eyes and knows that he's not fooling me. "Well, I guess I used to judge her too harshly. And now I owe her."

"What do you mean 'you owe her'?" I'm confused.

He sighs. "We had complications while escaping District 12. We thought that being in the woods would be the safest place. We were wrong. We had been running for nearly two or three hours and we thought it was over. We sat down to rest and Posy wanted to check things out. I was telling her that she shouldn't but she didn't listen to me. All of the sudden, Madge stood up and ran to where Posy was. She tackled Posy and when I saw that I thought she had gone crazy. But then I saw the bomb fall just where Posy had been standing." I try to make the information sink. Madge didn't tell me this. But again, Madge didn't want to tell me all that happened. "Madge saved Posy. I owe her."

"So that's why you're acting that way with her?" I think I feel a bit jealous. He doesn't say anything.

"You like her." I can't help but feel mad. I can't explain it. I just feel betrayed? I don't know what I'm feeling.

"You love Peeta, don't you?" He says in the same tone of voice I used. His voice has a mix of sadness and anger. When he mentions his name I feel tears about to come out. He just had to go there.

"I… I…" The tears are falling. I can't control them. The fear that somebody is doing something horrible to Peeta is unmistakable.

"It's okay, Katniss." He says it meaning '_It's okay that you don't love me'_.

"Gale, I… I love you and Peeta. But differently. I'm… I'm just so confused on what I feel."

I'm sobbing uncontrollably now. Gale sits in front of me in silence until I calm down. I can't help but think how the conversation all of the sudden changed completely. First we were talking about Madge, and now you have me here crying because of Peeta. I would give anything to know how Peeta is. Just to know that he is alive and...

My thoughts are interrupted by the incessant knocks on Gale's door. "Code Orange! Be at the Meeting Room in five."

Gale is immediately on his feet. I stand up also.

"What's going on, Gale?"

"Come on, Catnip. I'll tell you on the way."

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	7. Eyes

**So this is Chapter Seven. I want to dedicate this chapter to 07XReflectional and to RedMaquerade.:D Thank You guys:)**

**I want to thank to all of you who have subscribed to this story! It means a lot to me and I'll try to make action start soon:D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.. not even Peeta.. But I do own the two, hot, guy characters, Gared and Johnny:D**

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Eyes

I'm practically being dragged across the hallway. It's packed with people heading to the Meeting Room. Gale is almost ripping my arm out. When we are out of the hallway I make him stop.

"Gale, tell me what in the name of Panem is going on! What is Code Orange?" I'm yelling. I'm frustrated by this.

"Katniss, this is important. There is no time to explain. When we get to the Meeting Room you'll understand. Just trust me that this is not good." Gale's tone of voice is firm. He knows what he's talking about. I nod and he leads me to the Meeting Room.

The place is packed with people. Prim, Madge, and my mother are already here. I go over to them and I can tell they know what this is about. Prim's eyes are already welling up with tears.

The big screen with static interrupts me from asking Prim what's wrong. Finnick, Johnny, and Gale make their way to us. The static comes to a stop and the seal of Panem comes out. Then President Snow is on the screen.

"Hello, District 13. I see you've done very well on saving Katniss and Finnick. I have understood that poor Beetee didn't make it." I could swear I smell a blood-rose odor in the room, but that might just be my very creative imagination.

"You might be asking yourselves how nobody else in Panem is viewing this except you. Very simple indeed. Make a feast on every district after almost making them starve to death and everybody will pay no attention to the big screens." He is smiling like if he deserves a trophy for all his bad deeds.

"My poor, dear, Katniss. Has being far away from your suppose lover made you realize what you really feel?" He chuckles to himself and I feel rage building up inside of me like never before. I'm about to run to the screen and hit it with all my might. Finnick must know this because he immediately grabs me so I go nowhere.

"I could bet that you want more than nothing to know where your dear Peeta is." Then, the screen is filled with static. Next think I know, Peeta is the one in the screen. He's being carried by Peacekeepers. He looks so thin and unhealthy. Tears are falling into my face and I'm not ashamed of them. The Peacekeepers order him to sit in a chair. Then they bring in Johanna. She looks just as bad as Peeta. They sit her on a chair next to Peeta. I only glance at her once because I can't take my eyes off of Peeta. His eyes are full of rage and… and… confusion? I don't understand what's going on! Why is Peeta confused? What have they done to him?

"Annie?" It's a faint whisper but since Finnick is on back of me I hear it. That's when I see that Annie is also being dragged by Peacekeepers. She is yelling and trying to kick the Peacekeepers. Then they sit her on the chair on the other side of Peeta and don't let go of her since she could do any other crazy thing. I see the same expression in Peeta's face as when they sat Johanna next to him. Why!

"Why do they have her? She isn't supposed to be there! I need to-" Finnick is saying, almost shouting. I tell him to shut up and grab his hand for support and so that he doesn't go hit Haymitch. I know this because I have the same urge to go punch him. I know this is not Haymitch's fault, but it's always better to blame it on someone.

"Finnick. I guess you are surprised. I don't want to guess why they didn't want to tell you that we had her or how we know that you love her." There goes that stupid smile in his face again. I can't take it anymore. I let go of Finnick's hand and I start walking towards the screen. Anger fills my whole body and soul. Then, as small arms find their way around me, I feel all that anger leave and feel empty once again.

"Please, Katniss! Just leave it alone." She whispers onto my shoulder.

I hug her but I'm still watching the screen. I can see Johanna muttering to herself. Probably cursing. Then I see Annie crying. Finnick must be devastated. Now I see Peeta. He looks miserable. How can I stay here, watching, while Peeta is getting the worst part? I should be in his place. This is my fault. Not Plutarch's. Not Haymitch's. No. This is my fault!

"I'll be waiting for you District 13. I'll be waiting for you Katniss." While he says his last threat, they show Peeta getting hit with the butt of a gun. Then they show Snow again. A smile is in his lips as the static takes over.

"No!" I whisper into Prim's hair. I hug her even tighter that I guess I'm suffocating her, but if she feels uncomfortable, she doesn't tell me. Instead, she hugs me tight. I pull away immediately as I remember something. I start running to Haymitch and Plutarch, who are on the other side of the room.

"Johanna!" I yell at them. That urge to punch Haymitch suddenly comes back. But I don't punch him. They look at me quite confused. "Johanna! She… she…" I don't know how to put it. "Did you record the video?"

They don't answer me and I am getting frustrated! "Did you record the video? Yes or no? Just answer me!" Haymitch grunts as if annoyed by my impulses. Plutarch actually looks scared and if I had been in any other situation I would have laughed at his face.

"Yes. W-we did." Plutarch stutters.

"I want to see it again." Plutarch gets that incredulous look like if I have gone crazy. And maybe that's the case. Haymitch just scowls at me.

"Look. If this is a new way to cause pain to yourself, sweetheart, I'm not going to let you see it." Haymitch tells me.

"Do I look like I need to depress myself even more?" I ask him. My face is probably tear stained and the tears haven't stopped flowing.

"No. But I do see that you have burned yourself." I had totally forgotten about the incident I had earlier in the day. "Now, sweetheart, when he comes back, Peeta is going to get mad at me, furious even, if he sees that I didn't take care of you." Haymitch says that in a matter-of-fact way.

"Listen, Haymitch. There is something. I don't know what but believe me! We need to see that video again!" Plutarch nods and leaves to go find the video.

"So, sweetheart? What's this about?" Haymitch asks me once Plutarch is out of hearing.

"I still don't know." I'm being honest. I have no idea why I want to see the video again. With that, I go to sit down in the chairs in front of the screen.

Prim sits down next to me on my left side. They are three other girls, all of them with red hair, sitting on my right side. I've never seen them before and I wonder who they are. The video starts and takes away any chance of knowing who these three are.

We are in the part where they bring Annie in when all we hear is. "Stop!" The girl with the straight, red hair on my left says while standing up and points at Johanna. So, she saw it too? I can't help but smile. "Johanna! She is saying something."

Then the other two girls next to her stand up. "Rewind and play." The one with the short, red hair says. Plutarch does as he is being said. They watch all the time intently at Johanna. I wonder if they can read lips.

"What are they doing?" Prim whispers to me in my ear so no one else can hear.

"I think they can read lips?" I ask her since I'm not entirely sure. When I was watching the video the first time, I saw that Johanna was looking directly at the camera while moving her lips so I thought maybe she was trying to give us a message.

I take a quick glance at the screen and my eyes fall onto those blue eyes. I can't help but feel that something is wrong about them. They are not showing that love and warmth they always used to show.

"I knew it!" The one girl who had said nothing collapses to her chair and buries her face in her hands. She starts murmuring stuff about eyes. I wait to see if she is going to say anything but she doesn't. Curiosity takes over. The other two keep watching the screen so I go over to her.

"What's wrong? What did you know?" I'm kneeling next to her chair. She has curly hair that reaches to her hips.

She takes a second to look at me and her hazel eyes are full of sadness. "I'm so sorry, Katniss." Then she hugs me. I'm shocked by this. I never expected this. Why doesn't she just tell me what's wrong?

She breaks away from me and stands up. I stand up as well and go back to my chair and wait to see what they will say. The girl with the curly hair taps the other ones in the shoulder and whispers to them. Then they all sit down. The video has been stopped and I can tell that everyone is watching the three girls with red hair. Finally, Haymitch stands up and breaks the silence.

"So, Saturn? What did you and your cousins find?" The girl with the straight, red hair stands up. Saturn, I guess.

"Johanna was giving us a message. It didn't give us much advantage on what we already knew. She said that the Capitol has more captured. She said that they have people from District 3, 4, 8, 11, and even survivors from 12." She says and waits for Haymitch to tell her anything.

"That is not stuff we didn't kn-"

"We are not done, Haymitch." The girl with the short, red hair cuts him off. Haymitch glares at her and she glares at Haymitch. My respect to them is building. They are not scared of something like this.

"Then, please continue, Mercury." Haymitch sits down.

"Venus commented something about Peeta's eyes after the first time she saw the video. Johanna made official what Venus was suspecting." Mercury says and tells Venus, the girl with curly, red hair to stand up. Tears are flowing from her eyes and onto her cheeks but she manages to speak.

"Jo-Johanna said that ever since the explosion at the arena in the Quell, Peeta…" She takes a long pause before continuing. "Peeta doesn't remember anything. He… he lost his memory."

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**So it's obvious I like cliff hangers!:D Oh well... I'll try to get chapter eight up soon! Review please:D**


	8. Hate

**Hello! I'm sorry this time I took soo long. but I made this chapter longer than the rest because of that.:D**

**This chapter is for [the usual] 07XReflectional, Red Masquerade, and Paola[since she doesn't have a fanfiction].:(**

**Oh.. well. Disclaimer: None of this is mine. Just the plot, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus Grace.(:**

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Hate

A dagger to the heart. Slicing the throat with a knife. An arrow to the eye. I could go on and the list would never end. There are so many ways and possibilities that I could kill President Snow. He did this to Peeta. He did this to me. He did this to us. I swore once that President Snow would die, and I'm keeping to my oath, but _I_ will kill him. Nobody's hands but mine will be tainted with his blood. How did he_ dare?_

"Well, this is not good." Haymitch murmurs thinking that nobody heard him. This just makes me mad.

"Not good? Not _good!_ Haymitch, HE LOST HIS MEMORY! How can you just say that it's not good? Of course it's not good! It's worse than good! It's horrible! It's terrible! It's- it's…" I can't take it anymore! The tears are coming and I'm making those awful noises that are suppose to be sobs. Saturn, the straight haired red-head, and Mercury, the short haired red-head, look like they want to somehow help me. Comfort me in someway. Venus, the curly haired red-head, is the one who comes over and hugs me.

"Listen! Don't worry! The memory loss is not always permanent. Sometimes, well, in most cases, the person who lost its memory will gain it back!" She whispers to me, all the time her voice was cracking. I realize that she is sobbing with me. Why is she suffering? It's not like her boyfriend, er, friend, is the one that doesn't remember anything! Then she makes me look her into her hazel eyes and I see that she is definitely not lying. "Right, Saturn? You know more about this than any of us three. A person can gain their memory back?"

Saturn would look from me to Venus and from Venus to me. Finally she spoke. "Yes. Though, sometimes, it takes rather longer than it should. But, yes, he could regain his memory. Trust me, Katniss, I know from experience." She had a pained look in her face. The way her forehead would crinkle and her blue eyes would fill up with sadness.

I find my courage and stand up to Haymitch, not even bothering to wipe my tears off. "We need to speed it up." It impresses me how firm my voice sounds. I guess nobody understands what I'm talking about because I can read the confusion in everybody's face. I'm about to explain when Mercury beats me to it.

"She's right. I doubt that we could wait six more days for this to work. President Snow might not have said it exactly but he implied that if Katniss doesn't show up he will do something. Something we might regret later on." Six days. Mercury is right! I had totally forgotten that we barely had the meeting yesterday. Yes. We can't wait around six more days to see what President Snow intends to do.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Saturn and Venus arguing. Then both, at the same time, turned to Haymitch. "We agree." They both said in unison.

"Well, I don't, Graces." Haymitch says while standing up. "Your grandfather made this strategy in a way that we can't change it."

"You may be right, Haymitch." Mercury says and I see her green eyes tearing up. "But our grandfather was already ill by the time he made this strategy and, as my cousins and I understand our grandfather has left us in charge of what happens here, in District 13."

"You are talking like if he was dead, Mer!" Venus whispers to her, voice cracking.

"Venus, it is not my wish for Papa to die, but I can't lie to myself. _We_ can't lie to ourselves. He is very sick and not even our best healers can help him. He will soon leave us." Mercury is crying now and Saturn can't take it anymore.

"Okay, just STOP!" Everyone stopped murmuring with each other and actually started to listen. "Venus, Mer is right. Papa is going to have to leave us one day or another." Venus is covering her ears as to not hear what she is saying. "But, Mer! We don't have to talk about this here, do we? We already knew this was going to happen sooner or later. No need to break Venus like this!" She points to Venus who is humming with her hands still covering her ears.

Mercury seems to understand what Saturn is saying and goes to Venus. "I'm sorry, Venus. I-I didn't mean to hurt you. You have all right to hate me." Venus seems startled to hear the word _hate_ out of Mercury's mouth and she quickly stand up.

"Hate you? Hate _you_? If there is something that Papa taught us was the true meaning of hate. Hate is the consequence of fear. We fear something before we hate. The child who fears noises becomes the man who hates them, right? So don't tell me that I hate you because I have never feared you and never will. You are my cousin, Mercury, and I love you, just how I love Saturn and I would give my life for both of you without even hesitating." With those words of wisdom she storms out of the room.

What happens next is so unexpected. Mercury tried to sit in her chair, but failed. She landed butt first to the floor. After a few minutes of staring, she burst out laughing. Saturn was right next to her laughing like it was their birthday. They kept laughing and everyone was just staring at them. It was not pleasant watching someone so happy when you just received horrible news. The two cousins start to calm down and help themselves up. They are wiping tears of joy out of their eyes.

"I can't believe what she just did!" It was Mercury speaking. Saturn just gave a nod, smile still plastered in her face.

"I know, right! Since when does Venus take stuff so seriously? Yesterday, she was teaching us the ways to imagination and now she is giving us moral lessons?" Saturn says and starts laughing again. "Although, I still think you went too far this time."

"Yeah, I have to admit that I said what was on my mind before processing it." She sighs. "Oh, well. I have to go check on her before she cuts down my swing again. That would be new record, you know? Three times in a week!" Mercury gives Saturn a hug and leaves to catch up with Venus.

The door closes behind Mercury. Saturn then turns around to Haymitch. "So, back to business." She quickly hides her smile and takes a serious look. "Haymitch, I know you don't approve of speeding this, but we seriously can't wait six days. By then, Peeta will be…" She stops and turns to face me. She doesn't have to say it because I know what she means. _By then, Peeta will be dead._ She turns back to Haymitch. "Anyways, at least we could hurry it up. Maybe three or four days at the most. Please, Haymitch. I'm not asking you to send an army to fight for their liberty!" She stops to think about what she just said. "Okay, maybe that's exactly what I'm asking for, but, this is the most reasonable thing to do. I know my grandfather would ask for the same thing." Then she puts a puppy-dog look on her face.

Haymitch seems defeated, or maybe he is just tired of this. "I guess this was going to happen sooner or later." He sighs and then continues. "Okay, Grace. You got what you wanted. Now, everyone get out of here. Meeting tomorrow morning to discuss when we will leave."

Everybody is leaving. I know I should leave as well but I just can't seem to move. I'm stuck to my chair. Prim is shaking me and murmuring something in my ear but I'm not listening. I see Gale waving a hand in front of my face as if to see if I'm still sane. But I don't do anything to show my sanity. I'm too tired. Everything is just too much.

I think about what Venus had said. Hate is the consequence of fear. That explains the hatred everyone must have against the Capitol. Everybody, including me, has lived their lives fearing the Capitol. And now, over the years, they have developed an unmistakable hatred for the Capitol. But my hatred is different to all of these people. Maybe not so different to Finnick, since he has been in my position, but us, victors of The Hunger Games, our hatred goes farther than everybody else's. We don't just hate the Capitol, but we hate President Snow. We have feared him long enough and now we are going to change that.

Suddenly Gale leaves taking Prim with him. I'm pretty sure I'm crying. I can feel the tears falling on my already damp cheeks. Peeta lost his memory. He was the only one that understood the way I had felt after the Games. He was the one that would comfort me in the nights when the nightmares hunted me. Now, even if we got him back, he wouldn't know what he has done, who he is, who his family is, who I am. There is no point on getting him back. No. No! I can't allow myself to think this way! Venus said that he could gain in back! Even Saturn reassured me. I have to stop thinking negative. It will do no good to Peeta if I think that there will be no way to get him back mentally.

"I think I know you but it doesn't seem right that you don't know me. I'm Saturn Grace." She brings me back to reality and I see her outstretched hand. I take it.

"Nice to meet you, Saturn." She lets go of my hand and grabs a chair to sit in front of me. She settles the chair in front of me and sits down.

"I would have loved to meet you in different circumstances. My family is a bit crazy at times." She says this while twirling a strand of hair with her fingers.

"You mean the other two red-headed girls?"

"Yeah. Mercury and Venus but we call Mercury Mer."

"Well, Venus was very upset."

"Yeah. She still doesn't like the idea of our grandfather, Papa, dying."

"You're grandfather is dying?" She nods. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Death is not our fault." She stops twirling her hair to consider what she just said. She seems to do that a lot. "Well, it could be if we wanted it that way, but that is not his case. He has an awful illness. We still don't know what's wrong with him. It started last winter, around November. He gets terrible coughs in winter, but this one was different. He would cover him mouth and blood would come out. Normally the coughs would stop around February but this time they didn't stop. He is still coughing blood. The healers say there is nothing we can do about it."

"Well, I never met my grandparents. I guess it was better that way."

"Could be. Papa was like a father to us three, which is true since he is our grandfather. He would never tell us what happened with our parents. I guess it is kind of hard to talk about it. And since we never met our parents, we decided to change our last name to our grandfather's, Grace."

"I just have my mother and my sister, Prim. My father died when I was twelve." She stopped curling her hair again and looks straight at me with those blue eyes. "I'm sorry." Her eyes are a total different shade to Peeta's. Hers are a dark blue while Peeta's are just like Prim's, clear blue like the sky when the clouds have decided to leave it alone.

"No need to be sorry. It happened five years ago." I say and I swear I could feel the same pain as I did when they told us what had happened in the mines five years ago.

She has tears in her eyes about to drop to her cheeks. There is a serious determination in her face and eyes as she leans in closer to my face. "Katniss, I swear to you that I will help you find Peeta and we will bring him back. I give you my word. I _will_ get to see you be happy."

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**What do you think of The Graces? I want your opinion!:D**

**Review?**


	9. Meaning

**Sorry everyone for this looong wait! My computer broke and I lost the first half of this chapter, plus I had vacations and everything, but no worries! I was able to find it in my flash drive!:DD**

**Now since I've been really mean to all of you, I promise you two more chapters by the end of the week! **

**Disclaimer: This is obviously NOT mine! Well, except for the Graces of course.(:**

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Meaning

I can't close my eyes. If I do, the nightmares will come, but now worse than ever. My real fear is that when we rescue Peeta and bring him back, he won't know anybody. He will not have even the slightest clue of the kind of cruel world we live in. He won't remember all those nights in the cave of our first Hunger Games. He won't remember that night at the beach in the Quell, were I felt something while kissing him. The desire of wanting more.

Now I wonder, what would happen if the nightmares will keep creeping into my sleep when we get him back? That is, if we even get him back. No. We will get him back. I will personally make sure I get President Snow's, blood covered, rose smelling, claws off of Peeta.

I've been lying in my bed, looking up at the paper-white ceiling. At the thought of President Snow doing any harm to Peeta I feel rage boiling inside me, just like I felt the other day, when I saw him in the screen, threatening me. I get up from my bed and grab the first thing in front of me and smash it against the wall. A lamp. I make a grab for everything that can be smashed. The clock and the mirror had the same destiny as the lamp. Then I undo my bed. I grabbed a pillow and tried to rip it open with my teeth. After realizing how this would never work I scream.

I don't know how much time passed while I was screaming. I was too consumed to think of anything else. I realize I'm not screaming anymore since I've wasted my voice. I go to the bathroom and check my appearance.

My reflection is quite depressing. Silent tears I had not noticed before are streaming down my cheeks. Big bags are under my smoky eyes from sleepless nights. My olive skin is paler than usual. My hair was supposed to be in its braid, but after so much tossing and turning my hair has become a mess. My eyes go back to my tears in the reflection. Ugh. This is all too much.

Tomorrow, we will be setting off to the Capitol. I should be getting my good-night rest, but I don't want to repeat what happened yesterday in the kitchen. Yesterday, I had made up my mind that I wouldn't sleep at all. I would not let the nightmares get to me.

Late that night, I made my way to the cafeteria. I was going to stay all night there drinking water. To my surprise, I found Mercury in a table, close to a fountain of water. She had a glass of orange juice in one hand, while her other hand supported her forehead. She jumped when she saw that I was staring at her.

"Wow. You scared me!" She quickly composed herself and tapped the table, gesturing me to sit with her. I did.

"So, what brings you here at two in the morning?" I hadn't even checked the time, but sure enough, the clock in the wall was pointing at the two.

"Didn't feel like sleeping. You?"

"Same. I just can't get my head to turn off. Ugh." There is a silence. Then she mutters to herself, "If I could just find the candy!"

"You're looking for candy?" I thought about what insane person would want candy in the middle of the night.

"Yeah. It's just, if I eat candy, I will get hyper, and I haven't been hyper in a while. Saturn and Venus both have told me that I haven't been myself these past days. And it's true. I've just been too involved in all this. I really need a break." Mercury said while rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"So, are you saying that candy makes you stay awake all night?" I would have asked for anything to stay awake that night.

"Yeah. There is better stuff like caffeine, but it gives me headaches, and in my experience, they are mostly for grown-ups." There was a long silence were I couldn't stop thinking of places were candy could be hidden. Then…

"Oh. I know! I saw the lady that cooks storing some in the closet on the far corner." Mercury said as she got up from her chair and raced to the closet. She tripped in the way with a chair. She fell pretty hard but I guess she was too distracted to care. She got to the closet and there was a big bag of candy. I helped her get it to the table. From there she offered me and we ate candy.

When after ten minutes of going through the candy, we both sat back down in our chairs and Mercury started talking, really fast. The conversation was going nowhere until she started talking about her cousins' life. "No, dude! Would you believe that Venus is hitting on someone! I mean, she has never had any intentions with any other guy until now! It's weird."

"Really? Who is this guy?" I ask just to keep her talking about anything. I don't want her drifting off to talking about cereal again.

"Johnny. You probably don't know him. It's this really cute blonde guy with purple eyes. Everybody says they are blue but I'm sure they are purple!" Johnny. He is the guy that was in Gale's room the other day that we had that 'Code Orange'.

"I do know him. I met him yesterday," I gestured with my hands to all around, "before all this happened."

"I understand." From there, the night went like a blur. Next thing we knew, people all around us were eating breakfast and we were getting in serious trouble for stealing all that candy.

Tonight, I didn't want to get the nightmares, but I didn't want to eat bags of candy again. Mercury and I ended up with terrible stomach aches that day. I got off of my bed and went outside to the hall. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do. All I knew is that I was walking barefoot in the freezing tile. I was glad of the coldness of the floor since it was the only thing keeping me from falling face-down in the floor to sleep.

I stopped dead on my tracks as soon as I heard murmuring. I started tiptoeing towards the place where I was hearing the voices.

I had never been in this hallway. It was a creamy, mint green. It filled the halls with a type of warmness. The right wall had paintings every five feet. It looked as if people had been living here all their lives. Barely visible crayon drawings were lining the left wall. It felt like… home.

I caught the faint glimmer of red hair. I walked a little closer where I caught Mercury's small frame. She was talking with someone. A guy for sure. He was about a foot taller than her. Something about the boy's shoulders was awfully familiar. I started hearing Mercury in the middle of the conversation.

"… she is fine with that guy! You are just trying to protect her for what she did for you. Believe me, she is more than fine now!" Mercury's voice broke at the end like if she just stopped crying.

"Mercury… I know that but… I don't know! It's all too complicated!" He says while rubbing Mercury's arms. I can't believe it. I know that voice like the palm of my hand.

"What's too complicated? Am I too complicated?"

He sort of laughed. "In part yes. But you are a kind of a good complicated. I meant, the bad complicated."

Mercury smiled at his comment. "Then if you don't like her, why are you trying to make her see that. You will only hurt her!" I have no idea who they are talking about, but it sure doesn't sound good.

He tensed. "I'm not trying to make her see anything. I'm just being nice to her. It's you I like. I have only felt like this once in my life but that was never meant to be. You have been different since the first time I saw you. You were never like your cousins. You are fun and crazy, and maybe your cousins are too, but they are very different from you." He took her chin and made her stare at his shadowy eyes. "Whatever happens tomorrow, remember all that you mean to me."

She threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. He looked startled by it, but ended up giving in. They stopped and just hugged. He hugged her fiercely. Mercury was crying and in between sobs she said, "Oh, Gale."

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**This is the last "fluffy" chapter. next starts the action!... Or so I hope...:D**

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	10. Guilt

**So here is the second chapter of the week. kepp checking for the third! Probably will get it on tomorrow or Saturday!**

**Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to do this in every single chapter?:D Well, no, I don't own it! Except the characters i invented! MUAHAHA!(;**

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Guilt

I can't believe it. Gale and Mercury? But just days ago I thought it was Madge and Gale! If I had not been leaning on the wall it was sure that I would have fallen.

"I have to go, Mercury. I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Gale asked her, pulling away from her to make her look at him. She nodded. Then he pulled her in again and he murmured in her hair, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Gale started walking towards me. Instantly, I started running away, from fear of Gale catching me spying on him. On them. Next thing I know, I was running _into_ him. He caught me before I went backwards. How, in the name of Panem, did he get here faster than me?

"How much did you hear?" Gale asked carefully.

"Enough to see how mean and heartless you are!" I almost spat at him.

He had a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about the way you have been treating Madge. You treat her like you want something from her while you are going out with Mercury! She is not a toy you can play with, Gale!"

"Katniss, I thought we had talked about his."

"Talked about this? When? When 'Code Orange' happened? We barely talked about that and besides, what you are doing has no explanation. It's sick!" I have never been this mad at Gale. I should warn Madge. She should know not to trust Gale, because I don't even know if I can trust him anymore.

"Madge doesn't need me. She has that dude, Gared. I have not been getting her hopes up!" Anger is creeping into his voice.

"Sure! Last time I talked to her and I asked what was going on between you two she acted like she liked you and that you liked her and now you are stabbing her behind her back!" he looked confused and I only got more irritated. "You know, I'm tired and tomorrow is going to be a big day. I think I should go back to my room." I stepped around him. He didn't even try to stop me. "I can't even see you anymore."

**

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**

"Are you one-hundred percent sure that you want to do this?" I ask carefully. She could always say no after all.

"No," Yes! Some of the tension slipped away at that one syllable. "More like one-hundred and fifty percent sure." Oh. I tried to not look too unaffected but that never worked. She gave me a tiny smile. "It's okay, Katniss! I'll be with you at all times."

"That's what I don't like. If you are close to me you will always be in danger. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you!"

"Katniss, the danger doesn't begin in days. Besides, we will be in a Capitol secured building, under cover. That will not get us in total danger!"

"Prim, when you are in the Capitol without permission, you are always in danger," I saw her expression. "Even if we are under cover." I looked her over. She was almost as tall as me now, which was kind of sad, but she was smaller in other ways. She was skinnier too. She was the youngest of our crew going into this. I still didn't like it.

"Okay! Are we all ready?" Haymitch asked for, I think, the eighth time.

"Yes!" We all yelled at him with noticeable irritation.

"Okay, sweetheart. I hope you are happy." Haymitch said from behind me.

I spun around and spat at him. "Happy? I haven't been happy since Prim's name was drawn. Well, at least I think I haven't been entirely happy."

"Calm down, would you? We are finally doing what you wanted, sweetheart."

"No. We are doing what is supposed to be done. If this was my idea, I would just go, grab Peeta, and come back. I never intended to start a rebellion!" I had not stopped to thing of it until it was out of my mouth. And I realize it's true. I was actually very confused when I took out those berries. If I try to think about what my thoughts were at that exact moment I come out with nothing.

"Fine." He says and waves his hand, dismissing the conversation, and I'm glad. I didn't want to start going over it again.

It's time to say our good-byes. My mom comes. She looks at me with tears in her eyes. I realize I haven't talked to her at all since the day I finally 'woke' up from my 'depression'. I'm not a very huggable person but for some reason I reach for my mom and hug her. I really hope I get to see her again. Maybe she did leave Prim and me to fend for ourselves, but now I understand what she was going through, and still is going through. I miss those days were my mom was the strongest women in the world for me. Before my father died.

"You are coming back." I believe she says it to ensure herself.

"I'll try my best." I say into her shoulder.

She pulls me away from her keeping a hold on my arms. "No. You _will _come back, understand?" Her eyes are unreadable. I find myself nodding since my throat is set in a tight knot.

**

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**

My right hand is being held on tightly by Prim's small one. I've got my bow in my other hand and my sheath of arrows over my shoulder. We are walking through the forest that was outside of the mountain, which is District 13. We have been walking for about three hours.

I do a quick check. Everyone looks in pretty good shape, but it looks a bit forced. I catch Finnick's eye and raise my eyebrows, asking him if we should take a break. Normally I would ask Gale, but I have been trying to avoid him ever since what happened last night. Finnick nods.

"Okay, everybody. I think we should take a quick break." I yell to the crowd.

"I think we should keep going. I know there is a clearing about," Saturn pauses while thinking. "An hour and a half from here. Is that okay, Katniss?" She looks at me for confirmation.

"Sounds like a plan." I say. I look over at Prim. She sees I'm staring and forces a tiny smile. I smile back at her and just then I catch movement behind her. I immediately let go of her hand, grab an arrow, and place it in my bow, and shoot. I hear it make impact on something. I feel Finnick come to my side, trident in place for launch.

"What is it?" He asks.

"No idea. Want to go see?" I look over at him and he nods.

We walk over to where I shot my arrow. I move the bushes and find a weird looking thing with my arrow piercing its throat. It looks like an oversized bird. Its plumage is mostly blue with some pink and orange on some spots.

I look at Finnick. He raises his eyebrow. I shake my head telling him I have no idea what it is.

"Do you think we could eat it? It could easily feed all of us." I tell him, which is true. We could even have some leftovers.

"Well, I say we take it to the others. Maybe one of them knows what it is. Then we can discuss and see if it's eatable." I nod. I pulled the arrow out of its neck and back onto my sheath.

We dragged the huge bird over to our group. The bird was very heavy. I could not have been able to carry it without Finnick's help. When we were about thirty feet from the group, Gared, Johnny, Gale, and another guy came to help carry the bird. I have to admit it was much easier with five other people carrying it.

While we were on out way, I caught Gale's eyes. He has always been able to mask his feelings, but I guess he forgot because I could see the guilt in his eyes. The guilt and... a spark? He moved his lips forming words but seems to change his mind. I guess he remembered I'm not a lip reader at all.

Back to the group, I went for Saturn, Venus, and Mercury. Saturn was talking with a dark haired, green eyed guy. Mercury and Venus were ready for any kind of attack. Venus had something that looked like a dangerous button in her hand, which I was eager to ask her about. They came over to where we gathered around the bird.

"Do you have any idea of what it is?" I ask the three of them.

Venus stepped forward, grabbed her knife out of her coat, and cut the bird on the side. A few gasps were heard from among the group. I glanced around to the crowd. Gared was trying not to vomit. Gale had a confused look. And Johnny… Johnny looked… fascinated?

Red blood started gushing out of the cut. Venus got some blood in between her fingers and did all sorts of tests. From rubbing it between her fingers, to smelling it. Then a huge grin came upon her face. "I have no idea what this… this bird thing is, but we are sure having a feast today!"

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**So the action has started!:D**

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	11. Panic

**I do what I promise!:D Here you have chapter 11! **

**Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah!**

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Panic

The bird was too heavy to carry over to the clearing Saturn had told us about, so we settled down there.

"Someone should go start a fire. I'll skin it." I saw Finnick going with Prim. She had tears in her eyes. Once again I think of how will she be able to do her part in the plan.

Venus comes over to help me skin the bird. "So, what shall we call it? Any suggestions?" She asks me while plucking feathers off.

"Well, I've never seen anything like it. It's five times larger than a turkey for sure. So,"

"Oh. I know! How about 'huge bird who can feed the whole of Panem'?" She grinned at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"How about we leave it as 'huge bird'?" I tell her.

She laughs. "Fair enough. It would have been weird if we saw another one and we went, 'Hey, you! Kill the huge bird who can feed the whole of Panem!'"

"You know, it actually sounds good in that way." We both start laughing. It feels good.

"Hey, Venus! Come see this sunset!" Johnny yells while coming over for her. He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the sunset. "You come too, Katniss. It's incredible!"

"Um, no thank you, Johnny." I try to give him a smile, but I just don't feel it. Sunsets remind me of Peeta. His favorite color is orange, like the one on the sunsets. I can't help but feel ashamed. I've been laughing and joking while he is probably dying in the hands of the smelly President Snow.

I start plucking the feathers off of the bird with all my hatred. I imagine that the bird is President Snow and that I am killing him for all that he has done.

Suddenly I feel someone grab my hands. I look up to see Gale's concerned face next to Prim's scared one. I look down to my hands. They are covered with blood-coated blue feathers. They are trembling and I sense that my whole body is too. My throat is set in a tight knot and tears that I hadn't noticed before are streaming down to my cheeks.

Unexpectedly, I collapse on Gale. I start sobbing, ruining his shirt with my tears. He wraps his arms around me and tries to soothe me. And that breaks it. Only Peeta can do that. Gale has no right! Besides, I'm supposed to be mad at him.

I push him away from me and run to a tree. I find one and start climbing it. Before I know it, I'm fifty feet above the ground. Then I truly cry. Thankfully, no one tried to calm me down. Once the sunset is gone and only the moon and a billion stars are visible, I climb down.

Prim comes up to me, startling me. "Hey, Katniss! The bird is almost cooked. Come on! Let's go find a place to sit." It's strange to see that she is acting like nothing happened earlier. And I'm glad. I don't want any more attention than I already have.

The bird itself was very juicy. It had a sort of spicy. No need for condiments.

We were entirely full. We couldn't even hold another strawberry. Then all fifteen of us sat around the fire and tried to find sleep. Tomorrow morning we couldn't stop until nighttime. We had already wasted enough time with the whole 'huge bird' incident today. I lay on my back next to Prim. Then we both start looking at the stars. We started counting them and all of the sudden, we were fast asleep.

* * *

According to our plans, we should be on the outsides of the Capitol in less than a day. Sixteen hours at the most. I couldn't believe how close District 13 is from the Capitol and they still have no idea that it exists. Three days have passed and we are still in great shape. Now its time to carry out part one of our plan.

"I think its time to make the call." I look over at Saturn, Venus, and Mercury. They nod their head once. "Madge, pass me the radio."

Madge hands me the radio and I dial the coordinates to where our spy is waiting. "Good Morning! This is President Snow's office. Rissiola, his secretary is speaking." Someone says from the other line in that mocking Capitol voice.

"Sorry, WASP, I was trying to call the cafeteria, but thank you!" I said. Wasp, being the secret word.

"Understood. Less than twenty-four?" Yes. This is our spy.

"Much less. Sixteen for sure." I said calculating what time it is by the sun's position. It must be around nine in the morning.

"Okay. Unfolding in fifteen. Is that okay?" She asks me.

"Perfect." And she hung up.

"Okay, everybody. We will be there in about fifteen hours. Then we will get ready and go in. Understood?" I said trying to force leadership in my voice. Everyone nods once and we start walking once again.

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Fifteen hours later, we get a beep from the radio, instructing we better hurry. It is about midnight. Rissiola must have quitted her job by now and President Snow must need a secretary. It is also noticeable the big buildings of the Capitol in front of us.

"Okay, everybody. We are here. Time to get ready." I whisper loudly so everyone hears. I beckon Madge to come with Prim and me. She grabs her backpack and comes over to where we are going to change.

"Are you ready?" I ask her. I am beginning to panic.

She gives me brief smile. "Never been more ready in my life." I nod and we go change.

I help Prim with her curls. Then I put her pink wig on top of her hair. It's exactly the same color as the one Effie had in our first Hunger Games. Then she changes into a nurse's outfit. I'm glad we are going to be doing this at night. Nobody will give us a second glance. She will still have her blue eyes.

Next I help Madge. Her curls are unmanageable, but we get her purple wig on. Then she puts something in her eyes to make them green. She looks alien to me. Then she dresses in a very fancy dress that I hope only secretaries wear.

Then Prim and Madge help me. They put a red wig on me. I bet I look like one of the Grace's in this hair. Then Madge helps me with putting the circles that go in your eyes to make them a different color. Mine happen to be soft lilac color. I change into a similar outfit as Prim. Then we go to meet the other.

Everyone is unrecognizable. Finnick and I need make-up. People would still know who we are since we are very _famous_. Finnick has green hair and black eyes. He looks kind of evil. Ha. Like if he wasn't! We get drawings by this girl whose name is Zinnia. She is a brown eyed brunette. She looks about fifteen at the most. I have never actually talked to her.

"So, where did you learn to draw like this?" I ask her now that she finished Finnick and is working on me.

"I don't know. Nobody actually taught me. I spend most of my free time painting. It helps me-"

"Escape?" I offer.

"Yeah. I used to be like the Graces, who are always talking and having fun. But ever since my parents died I keep to myself." Oh.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I tell her which is true. I know how bad it feels.

"It's okay, I guess. Gared and Vensten have helped me a lot."

"Vensten?" I ask. I had never heard of him.

"Yeah. He is the green eyed guy who is always talking with Saturn." She smirks at me while pointing at the couple over the trees. Surely it's Saturn and the dark haired guy she has been talking to all the time.

"Are they your friends?"

She snorts a laugh. "You can call it that. I prefer the term 'brothers'."

"Gared is your brother?"

"Yup. Hard to believe, eh?" And that's were I actually see the similarities. They both have the same brown eyes, with the same glint of happiness. And also the same hair, although Gared's hair is a little darker. "Vensten is the one that doesn't look like us at all. Gared and I look like my mom and in some ways like our dad. But Vensten got lucky. He got dad's green eyes and dark hair." She rolls her eyes at me.

"Well, you just have to look at Prim and me and see we don't look like sisters at all."

"True." She smiles at me and I smile back. We keep comfortable talk until she is done with me. Then I ask her if she need help changing. She accepts my offer.

I help her with her dark blue wig. I pass her circles so she can put them on. But first she takes some off.

"You already had them on?" I ask her.

"No. These are just so I can see well. You see, I'm practically blind like Gared, so we need glasses, but they gave us these." She points to the circles she just took off. I see her eyes without the circles and see that the circles were that glint that I had seen before. Now she doesn't have it anymore. "Not the most comfortable thing ever but they help." She then puts on a nurse uniform on. "Isn't it wonderful that the two brothers and sister will be nurses together!" She says with noticeable sarcasm while putting both of her hands together on top of her heart. I sort of laugh at her comment.

**

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**

"Ready Madge?" I ask her. I'm still feeling the panic rising. Why did _she_ have to do it?

"Yes. Let's do this. Ready, Johnny?"

He nods. He just had to spray some blue to his blonde hair to look like from the Capitol. His eyes are already rare enough in a beautiful way.

"Do you remember what you have to do when you get to the office?" I ask.

"Yes, Katniss. We have gone thoroughly through this like nine times! Can we go now? If I don't get there they will find a new secretary." She has a point there. I nod and she gives me a quick hug. "Every thing will go according to plan, Katniss." I nod but it's only half-heartedly. In my life nothing ever has gone according to plan. She starts walking and before Johnny can catch up I grab him by the arm.

"Take care of her, okay? You too! Don't get in trouble and try to keep a low profile." I tell him in a whisper.

"Everything will be fine. Try not to worry too much. Let's just try to get this over with as soon as possible." I nod.

"Do you have the camera ready?" He nods and shows me the hidden camera in his glasses. I look at him and he winks at me with those 'purple' eyes. I try not to laugh. "Okay, go now!" And he leaves to catch up with Madge. Now, all that is left is to wait for the sign. I'm trembling from panic building up inside me. We are here. We are finally here to take Peeta to safety. Finally Peeta will be safe. Or so I hope.

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**I have an extra chapter! If I get reviews I might put it up PLUS another one that I'm already doing soo..**

**Review?**


	12. Time

**I've got no comment. I know this is my shortest chapter but it just had to be this way.**

**Disclaimer: *sticks tongue out* I DON'T OWN IT!**

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Time

"Katniss, look, I need to give you something." Venus says and drags me under some trees. She has to wear a wig almost the same color as my fake eyes and a big fancy dress that looks uncomfortable.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" I started panicking more than I already was.

"No, no. Everything is okay. I just wanted to give you this." She hands me a metal box. I opened it and found a red button. I looked up at Venus with a confused expression.

She laughs. "You look so funny when you are confused. Anyway, this button will activate all of our radios just by pressing it. If you are in trouble, the closest person will find you and try to help you. Now," She grabs the box and opens it the other way to find a smaller blue button, "if you are in a life or death situation, just press this button three times." Then she gave me an evil grin.

"What would happen if I press the button three times?" I ask carefully.

"Let's just say you will hear a huge BOOM!" She gestured with her hands an imaginary explosion.

"Will I be alive after the BOOM?" I ask but I don't think I'll even try to touch the button.

"Of course! But if someone finds the box and presses the blue button _once_, that person will blow up in little tiny pieces after a few seconds." She says emphasizing the word once.

"That is something I hope I never see."

"Well, this little box will save your life. There is no downside to my Blow4000. Of course, only if you don't use it." She says.

"Blow4000?" I ask.

"Yeah. That's what I called it!" She says giving me a friendly smile that I like so much more than her evil smile.

"Wait. You invented this?"

She hesitated. "Invented is too big of a word. I prefer designed. You haven't heard much about me. But I can tell you that if I was evil enough, I would blow the whole Capitol in a matter of seconds. Its easy stuff. I would just need a few torpedoes. I could take the detonator out, and then wire it to some electrical tower and spread it all around the Capitol. And then to give it an extra BOOM you take the actual explosive stuff, like the ammonium nitrate stuff, and spread it through the whole Capitol." She must've looked at my confused face because her smile became bigger. "They say I'm pyro. That I can make anything blow up. Don't get on my bad side. I could as easily blow _you_ up as well." She returned the box into my hand and walked away. I remember that she is from District 13, were they made nuclear weapons. I could learn some useful stuff from her.

I look over at the group. I can see Mercury with an olive green wig. I can also see Saturn, who is wearing a black one. Both seem to not be wearing circles in their eyes since they are their normal color. I spot Gale. He is talking with Finnick, Gared, and Vensten. Gale sprayed some orange paint in his hair and is dressed in very colorful clothes which I bet he hates, while Gared and Vensten are in white nurse uniforms.

Gale sees me staring and jerks his head over to the side. I nod and I walk over to where he pointed with his head. A few seconds later he is right in front of me.

"Gale, I-" I begin.

"No, Katniss. You were right." I'm taken aback. What? Since when does Gale accept he is wrong so easily? "I have been playing with your's and Madge's feelings and it's not right."

"What? Me? You haven't been playing with my feelings!" What is he talking about? I am totally confused.

"Well, maybe you didn't notice but now I see it was true. I… I just can't bear the thought that you are in love with… with Peeta."

"But Gale, I'm not… I'm not…" I can't seem to be able to say it. Why can't I say it? It's simple, isn't it?

"Katniss, it's okay. I… I think I understand. I don't know what I was trying to do. Make you jealous by acting all nice with Madge? I suppose that's what I was doing, but you didn't care and that's when I realized. I realized that you loved him and not me."

"But Gale! I do love you! I just don't think I love you in _that_ way. And I don't think I know what I really feel towards Peeta. It's just so confusing."

"Katniss, believe me when I tell you. You do love him. I could see it in every tear you shed for him. I could see it when you saw him in the screen. And I can see it right now as we speak of him." He stopped to catch his breath. "Before I was mad because I thought that you were choosing him over me because he was better than me. Now I see that you and I were never meant to be. I… I love you, Katniss, but now I see that I love you as a brother would love his sister, not like a lover. I will never let any harm be done to you but I am not the one who can comfort you. Only Peeta can do that for you."

Tears are threatening to fall down to my cheeks. Why did I never see it? I truly do love Peeta. I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out. Gale is right. I throw my arms around him and hug him. "Thank you, Gale. Thank you so much."

He hugs me back. "No problem, Catnip."

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The beeping of my radio broke us apart. "It's time." I said.

"It's time." Agreed Gale.

**

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**

"Gared, Vensten, Zinnia, and Prim. It's time to go." They nodded once and came to my side. Prim quickly getting a hold of my right hand. I couldn't believe that this was actually happening. "You all know the plan. Stick to it and everything should go perfect."

Venus came up to Prim and hugged her. Then she went to Zinnia. I heard her murmur. "See you soon." Then came and her evil smile came upon her face. "Good luck, Mockingjay. Remember my box. Can't wait to see what it will do!"

"Wait. You don't know what it will do?"

"Of course I do. I just… I just can't wait to see how it unfolds itself unto what it's programmed to do! Good-bye, Katniss. I'll see you very soon, right?"

"Of course." I gave her a smile and we hugged. Mercury and Venus both waved good-bye from afar.

We started walking towards the Capitol streets. I caught Finnick's gaze for a second. He gave me an encouraging nod and a smile. I smiled back at him. Then I saw Gale and he just smiled. I was glad that I had him back. With that done, Zinnia, Gared, Vensten, Prim, and I entered the bloody streets of the Capitol.

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**Okay. So as much as I hate Gale, I couldn't make Katniss hate him too, soo, there goes the reconciliation!**

**Review?**


	13. Names

**So this weekend I was totally on my element! And I still am! So for this chapter I want to thank Emery! For all those reviews! jajaja sorry about the fluffiness:D and 07XReflectional and RedMasquerade! Now GO READ!**

**Disclaimer: La La La LA! CAN"T HEAR YOU!**

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Names

It is hard to believe how the Capitol has absolutely no boundaries. Anyone can come in and go out, but of course, who would want to go out of the Capitol? The Capitol people are so stupefied on their looks and on all that the Capitol gives them that they don't see what they are doing. It all makes me sick and it makes it hard to have the huge fake smile plastered on my face.

"They are so… different?" Prim asks. I look at her and actually smile. She snorts a laugh and we keep walking.

I remember that I need to put an earpiece inside my ear to listen to instructions. I stick it its place. Johnny was already talking to me by the time I put it on.

"… for me. I can track you down. I'll be there in three minutes. Just stay where you are." That was all I heard from Johnny, but the message was clear. We had to stop.

"Okay, guys. We have to stop and wait. Let's hope everything goes right." I look over at Gared and Vensten who each took one of Zinnia's hands. Suddenly, Gared grabs my free hand and pulls me towards him. I was about to push him and ask him what was wrong with him when I see that a weird car was about to run over me and Prim. I looked at Gared, who looked pale and concerned. I mouthed 'thank you' and he nodded.

Then a black car pulled over in front of us. My mode went to alert. How did they know we were here? How are we going to get out of this? Who will help Peeta now?

"Katniss, it's just me," said Johnny from the earpiece. Oh, right. I totally forgot about him. I detached myself from the group and opened the front door.

"Nice of you to come see how we are faring." I tell Johnny. I motion the other that it is safe to get in the car. They start walking and open the door to get in the backseat. I get in the front next to Johnny.

"You should have seen your face when I pulled over." He snorts a laugh. I punch him in the shoulder. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For scaring me! That's what!" How could he be joking at a time like this!

"Calm down, Katniss! Madge already changed the papers and now you five are officially nurses of The Capitol Hospital: Where you go dying young!" He started chuckling to himself. I couldn't do anything but glare at him.

"How do we even know that Peeta is _in _the hospital?" I ask him since we were never completely sure.

"Well, all I know is that he _is_ in there. Madge found some papers that I suppose Rissiola left behind for us to know. They have stopped torturing him, since they now see that his 'losing his memory' was not some kind of joke." I almost cry in relief! They have stopped torturing Peeta! I couldn't have asked for more.

"Although, with President Snow, you never know." A low rumbling I had never heard before came from the back. I saw Zinnia slapping Vensten in the arm. I had never heard Vensten talking. Also, he is right.

"That's true. Those files could be saying all the lies in Panem." I say, agreeing with Vensten. All my joy left just as fast as it came.

"Well, here are your names," says Johnny passing me a folder.

I look inside. "Okay. Well, Prim, your name is Lyssa. Zinnia, yours is Megan. Gared's is Cameron. And Vensten's is Felix. Mine will be Krysten. Is that right, Johnny?"

"Yup. Rissiola left those names in a folder as well. She saved us a lot of thinking." He says.

"What is yours and Madge's name?"

"Well, I'm still thinking of mine. Something... epic like Onyx or… I don't know. Madge's is Dayil." He says with a frustrated look. He must still be thinking of a name for himself.

"Onyx sounds great." I say. He smiles really big.

"You think? Okay, then. Onyx it is!"

"So, Lyssa, are you okay?" I ask addressing Prim.

"Yes, Krysten. Never felt better." She says with a lot of sarcasm.

"What about you, Megan?"

"Same here," says Zinnia. "Hey Cameron, can you still see?" She asks addressing Gared.

"Nope. I guess I forgot how the world is without the contacts," says Gared while rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Felix. You have been awfully quiet through all this. Is it because of… your new girl?" He smirks at Vensten who glares at him. Then Gared starts throwing kisses to Vensten.

"Gared! Stop it!" Says Zinnia barely containing her laughter. Prim is also giggling.

"Who are you talking to? I know of no Gared." Replies Gared.

"Oh, okay! Gosh, _Cameron,_ stop it!" She says. "Happy now?"

"We're here!" says Johnny interrupting the fight backseat. I look at him and see that he is suppressing a smile. I look out at the window. This is the moment I've been dreaming and dreading of. The day I will rescue Peeta. There is a huge white building with a big red cross in the middle. It's about thirty stories high. "Off you go!"

"Okay, thank you Joh-, Onyx." I tell him.

"No, problem, Krysten. Break a leg!" What?

"Excuse me!"

"It means good luck, Katniss!" says Johnny while laughing.

"Oh. Yeah, I'll need it."

"I know."

**

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**

"Okay, Prim, here is what you are going to use." I hand Prim a bow and one arrow. "Be very careful. You know what this arrow is capable of." She nods. "Please be careful!"

"Yes, Katniss! I will! I'll be out in less than ten minutes. No, make that five." She says smiling. Then she looks at me and her smile drops. "Katniss, we have to calm down! _You_ have to calm down. You also have to stop trembling." I hadn't noticed but surely, I was trembling. I nod and she hugs me. "See you later." Then she climbed into the ducts.

"Wait! Prim!" I whisper at her. She comes back.

"What is it?" She asks.

"I forgot to give you these." I handed her one of those camera glasses. She put them on and started going through the ducts.

I grab the monitor from inside my pockets and turn it on. I'm watching exactly what Prim is looking at. She goes through a series of ducts she has memorized. Finally, she finds the one she will drop from. She starts unscrewing the bolts with a… a pocket knife? Where did she get that? Anyways, she drops on the empty room. She checks herself in the reflection of the window and manages a fake smile. Then she hides the bow and arrow inside her clothes. She starts walking and passes some nurses who don't even give her a second glance. Then she goes into a room, which has, of course, a Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper is looking out of the window. Prim hides herself before the Peacekeeper sees her. Then she slowly, if not silently, takes out the bow and the arrow. She fixes it correctly and aims it at the Peacekeeper. Then, she lets go. The arrow pierces the Peacekeeper in the neck and he falls. Prim hurries to the Peacekeeper and takes away his radio and any other sort of communication device. She then runs to the door. I turn off the monitor and there is Prim in front of us opening the door wide open for us.

We pass through the door. Gared and Vensten go over to the Peacekeeper and take the arrow off of his neck and hide it. Then Zinnia goes over and stabs a needle into the neck of the Peacekeeper. He slowly started opening his eyes. Zinnia takes out the needle and hides it as well.

"Sir, are you okay?" I ask him in that mocking Capitol tone.

"Er…" Is all he says.

"Krysten, I think we should take him and see what caused him to faint." Tells me Prim, also faking the Capitol tone.

"Yes, I think that would be best." Said Vensten.

"Uh… no, no! I'm perfectly fine! See," says the Peacekeeper while standing up. "I can stand up."

"I don't think so, sir. You fainted. That could be very bad." Said Zinnia.

"No! Could we pretend like this never happened?" He asks us, his eyes pleading.

"This could be very bad indeed." Said Gared.

"Please, no! If President Snow finds out that I fell asleep during my shift, I'll get fired."

"Well, maybe we could make an exception don't you think?" I ask the rest.

"Yes, I suppose we could." Said Prim.

"Oh, thank you! I'll do anything for all of you just ask." He said.

I smiled. This was going perfect. "Well, we are new and they gave us a patient but we don't know where he is. Could you help us?"

"Of course. I know every single patient and its location. Who did you get?"

"Umm… our paper says 'Patient 103, next to Mellark'." I say taking a paper out that says exactly that.

"That is in the fifteenth floor." He says.

"Oh well, thank you! Oh, and by the way, who is Mellark? They told Cam, Lyssa, and me that we would be attending him once in a while." I smile at him.

"He is the poor kid who won the 74th Hunger Games. He is also in the fifteenth floor. You all should know that whatever happens here stays in here, right?" he says very carefully.

"That's the first thing they told us. So I suppose it's real. Well, that's okay. None of us are really into gossip." Said Vensten.

"Okay, well, I think you are in perfect state. And we should get to work! We don't want to get fired!" Said Zinnia.

"Yes, I think that is a good idea." Said the Peacekeeper.

"Okay, well, thank you very much, Peacekeeper…?" I ask.

"Kahlil. Peacekeeper Kahlil." He said.

"Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you Peacekeeper Kahlil!" And we walked into the hospital. We headed directly to the elevator that will take us to the fifteenth floor. The elevator that will take us to where Peeta is. This was far easier than I thought. And that makes me nervous. Nothing is ever this simple.

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	14. Smile

**I have to admit that I cried while writing this. I know I promised no more fluff, but I swear that I had to do this!:D**

**Disclaimer: Pff. Nah. But I do own Peeta's illness!:)**

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Smile

_Ding._

The elevator's doors open and we go in. Prim grabs my right hand. I feel myself tremble as I my fingers make their way to pressing the number fifteen. I press it and it lights up. Here we go. Finally I'll get to see Peeta. I'm not sure if I can make it through, though.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder and give me a squeeze. I turn to look at Vensten looking worried. It is the first time I see any emotion in his face. He is really good at masking it. I nod my thanks for his support. A brief smile comes upon his face.

_Ding._

The doors of the elevator open. We're here. Peeta is in this same floor. We make our way to the table in the lobby. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?" A very cheery woman with yellow skin asks us. She looks sick but by her smile I suppose it's just coloring.

"Yes. We are new and we would like to know what you would like us to do." I tell her in my best mocking Capitol tone.

"Did they give you a patient in specific at the front table?" She asks.

"Yes. They gave us," I pretend to look for the paper. I take it out and read, "Mellark."

"Oh! You are the new nurses! We have been expecting you!" She stands up and goes through her files. "Hmm… this is not right. I don't have your names. I suppose I'm going to have to ask the director." Uh-oh. This was not supposed to happen.

"Well, you could call President Snow's secretary. She is the one that gave us this job." I tell her.

"Ooh! Good idea!" She dialed some numbers and put it in speaker.

"Good night. This is Dayil, President Snow's secretary. How may I help you?" Wow. Madge sure sounded professional.

"Yes. Good night! I'm calling from floor fifteen of the Capitol's hospital. I have five new nurses here but I don't have their names. Would you like to send them to me?"

"Of course! Fax?" She asks in a very convincing Capitol tone.

"Yes. That would be the best."

"Okay, it should get there in about five minutes, I suppose." Then Madge hung up.

Surely, five minutes later, there was a fax with all our names and our 'experiences'. "Okay, so are you Krysten, Megan, Lyssa, Cameron, and Felix?"

"Yup. That's us." Zinnia chimes in.

"Well, this is perfect! Okay so at that door," She points to a door that has the number 1008 printed, "is where you will find the food for each patient. Since you got floor fifteen you will not only be Mellark's nurses but all the other patients' nurses. Is that okay with you?" She asks addressing me.

"Perfect!" I say with a lot of fake enthusiasm, but if she noticed any of it, she doesn't let us know.

"Okay, well, you can start with your rounds." And with that said, she goes back to typing in her monitor. She doesn't even give us a second glance.

I motion the other to get into the 'food' room. We go in.

"Wow. That was a close one." Gared is the first to break the silence.

"Don't even remind me." I tell him. I start going through the food and I'm surprised to see how these patients eat better than any of us. It all makes me even sicker. I'm about to turn around from the food when, in the corner of my eye, I see a small portion of food. I go over to it. It's one piece of stale bread. It already looks inedible, so, why is it here? I check the tab of the patient and I swear I would have fainted if Prim had not been there. It said 'Mellark'.

"This is what they give him?" I whisper to myself, but I know they heard me since Prim is already next to me grabbing my hand.

"Kat-, Krysten, we can change this. Don't worry." Prim whispers in my ear. I nod since I don't trust my voice with this huge knot I have in my throat.

I try to compose myself and then turn to the others. "Okay! So, should we start with our 'rounds'?" They all nod and each takes a tray. I, of course, take Peeta's tray. Prim gives me a roll that I put in my pockets since I don't want Yellow Woman to see me carrying the wrong food to Peeta. Gared, Vensten, and Zinnia also give me one each. Then we go.

"Self control. Okay?" Prim tells me before she leaves to go take her food to her patient. I nod and smile, but its forced, so it came out more like a scowl.

We part to go to our patients. I still don't know what I'll do once I get to Peeta's room. His room is the one on the far end. Everything seems to change to slow motion. Suddenly I'm already at his door turning the knob. I catch my breath and walk through the door.

I can't see him at first. Everything is so dark. I find the light switch and turn it on. His blonde hair is the only thing with color in this room. His clothes are gray and ripped from every possible place. He looks at me with his pale blue eyes. I had never seen his eyes so empty before. They had always been so full of warmth and love. Now they were just cold. He tilts his head to the sides. I walk casually to where he is sitting. I set the tray at his feet and kneel next to him. I grab his hand and put one of the normal rolls of bread in it. He looks at it and then at me. His eyes are questioning me, confusion written all over them. It takes all of my self control to not break down and throw my arms around him. Absentmindedly, I run my fingers over his hair. He flinches at my touch but does nothing to remove my hand. He just watches me.

"Oh, Peeta. What have they done to you?" Tears are streaming out of my cheeks. Then, with his free hand, he wipes my tears off of my cheek. A shudder runs down my spine at his touch.

"Please. Please, don't cry." He tells me in a low voice that I remember he used when he would tell me he loved me. I stifle a sob that is threatening to come out of my throat. I hand him the other three rolls of bread and wipe my tears away with my sleeve.

"I'll come back, okay? Please, don't leave me, Peeta. Don't you dare leave me." My voice takes a threatening note at the end. I grab his free hand and squeeze it with both of mine. What happens next catches me so off guard. He smiled at me. I've been seeing that smile in my nightmares, right before he is taken away from me. A quite sob escapes my throat and I smile back at him. I give his hand another squeeze and leave. I am sure that if I had stayed longer, I would have done something stupid like hug him or kiss him, and I'm pretty sure the room is bugged with cameras.

Right before I leave, I see the light switch. I'm about to turn it off when I remember, Peeta is in this room and will not leave him in the darkness. I retrieve my hand and open the door and shut it firmly behind me. I start running and go into the restroom. I lock myself in a stall and let the tears flow. I won't be able to go with the plan. I'm going to have to speed this up even more. How? I have no idea. But Peeta can't stay in there anymore.

My worries about him not remembering who he is have gone away. Because in that smile he gave me, I saw the real Peeta. My Peeta. He is still there, hidden, but I will find a way to make him come out again. I… I just don't know how.

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**So I couldn't stop thinking of Peeta and what he was thinking so I decided to make a one-shot of Peeta's thoughts in this chapter. Go to my profile if you want to read it. it will go by the name 'Remembering Nothing About Her'. It may become thoughts of peeta if I am incouraged!:D**

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	15. Wasp

**So, this week I said I would give all of my readers 3 chapters. This is the 7th chapter I have given you this week so you can pretty much see how much I have been thinking of all of you.:D**

**Disclaimer: I think since I have written this 7 times this week, I now understand that i don't own the Hunger Games.:)**

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Wasp

I walk back to the 'food' room. I suppose I should keep doing my rounds and tomorrow I'll see Peeta again. Maybe I'll get Prim or Zinnia to go check on him later on. If the room was bugged, and I'm more than sure it was, it wouldn't be safe for me to go in there again today.

I open the door to find them all waiting there to know what happened. I just stare at them for a moment, deciding what I could say.

"So?" Asks Gared, like always, breaking the suspenseful silence.

"What do you want me to tell you?" I ask him, since I have no idea what he is waiting to hear from me. They already know Peeta's health status.

"I don't know. How is he?" Asks Vensten. I hadn't noticed but he looks impatient.

"Just how we last saw him. He definitely lost his memory and-"

"How do you know that?" Asks Zinnia.

"Well, for one, he didn't recognize me and-"

"How are you so sure he didn't recognize you? Did you expect him to go 'Oh! My love! You came to save me!' No! If Peeta loves you, he would have never even acknowledged you because it's pretty obvious that the room is bugged. He wouldn't give up on you that easily!" Interrupts Zinnia again. She has a point unfortunately. Peeta wouldn't do that.

"But he looked scared to see me when I came into the room!" I say defensively.

"And your point is?" Zinnia is really getting on my nerves.

"Zinnia, I think that's enou-" Starts Prim but I cut her off to respond to Zinnia.

"Peeta would never be scared of me!"

"No, that's true. But he would be scared _for _you." I'm taken aback from that comment. Of course, she is right. I had not thought of it that way.

After a few seconds of thinking I respond. "You are right. I'm not one-hundred percent sure that Peeta actually lost his memory. Prim, I would like you to go check on him later. I don't think it's safe for me to go in there today again." She nods and comes over to take my hand. "I think we should keep giving food to the patients and try to act as normal nurses would." I go over to take a tray. Zinnia, Gared, and Prim have already left and I'm the room alone with Vensten.

"I'm sorry." Says Vensten leaning on the wall.

"For what?"

"My sister. She… she can get very motherly once in a while." He says and the corners of his mouth tilt up to a sad smile. I remember their parents died, I just never knew how.

"It's okay. It's nice to have someone put me in my place once in a while. Reminds me that it's not all about me. That there are other people out there who are also suffering. The last person who ever talked to me like that was… was _him_." Every single memory is related to Peeta in one way or another.

"Really? I never thought of him as the yelling type of guys." He says with fake amusement.

"He isn't. He was just mad because I got drunk." I look up and he looks surprised. "It was the day after they announced the Quarter Quell. I regret it. It has a good taste at the beginning, but the hangover is horrible."

"Well, Zinnia has been like that ever since dad and mom died. I remind her almost daily that she is the young one and should not worry about stuff like that but I guess it's in her genes. Gared is also like that. Very protective. Just like you with Prim. I'm more laidback, if I may say. And I'm supposed to be the old one." I smile at his comment.

"I think we should get the trays to the patients before they start complaining." I say, already making the Capitol tone.

"Of course." He grabs a tray and opens the door for me."After you, Krysten."

"Why, thank you, Felix."

**

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**

"Yes! Yes! I'll come back tomorrow! Now, I have to go! Bye!" I'm practically running away from the patient. I came to bring the food to her. She said 'thank you' about fifty times! I said 'you're welcome' about sixty times! She keeps talking about how her surgery was a complete success and how she will soon be the skinniest woman in whole Panem. Unfortunately for me, I had to keep the act that I was so happy for her, while over on other districts there are kids starving to death. And yes, skinnier than her! But I can't blame her. She doesn't know better.

As I'm walking back to the 'food' room, I hear someone talking in my ear. I never took the earpiece off. It's Saturn.

"Katniss, you have a microphone you can put on so we can talk." I look through my pockets and I see this black button.

"Is this it?" I ask into the button.

"Yup! Hey, Katniss! It's me, Saturn." I stick the dot into my shirt in the inside and keep walking like nothing. "Have you seen Peeta?"

"Yes. I have." I answer. I can't give too much detail since it would be a little out of place if I start talking to nothing but air.

"Good. Well, I've been thinking… what if we get him out of there before time? I mean, I find it pointless to wait for him to starve."

"He won't starve." I declare. I can't believe that Saturn and I have the same idea of taking Peeta out of here as soon as possible. "But I think we should."

"I knew you wouldn't say no to that. See! I told you so!" She yells to, I guess, the rest of the group. "Gale, Mer, Venus, and Finnick have found Johanna and Annie already. They are more than ready to bring them back."

"So, when are you thinking?" I ask her to be prepared.

"It's about to break dawn, so I propose, today at night. I was thinking right away, but there will be a lot of people right now in the morning, so-"

"Perfect." I interrupt her.

Our conversation ends.

I walk up to the table in the lobby were Yellow Woman is still typing in her monitor. I could swear she has not moved at all since we last talked to her. Through the windows I can see the sun rising. I turn around and head for the 'food' room, which has become our official meeting room. Gared, Vensten, Zinnia, and Prim are already there waiting for me.

I smiled somewhat evilly. They immediately went on alert mode. "I heard there would be a WASP tonight." They all nodded, understanding perfectly my message. Then they started getting trays, once again, and taking them to their patients. This habit was actually getting on my nerves. But I would do anything for Peeta. And if that meant taking food to crazy patients, I would do it. Today, Peeta would be saved. It still scared me how simple this was going to be. I wanted to see President Snow's blood-thirsty eyes moments before his last breaths but for some reason he is giving us a break, and for once, I don't like it.

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**Eee! Next chapter has all the action!... Or so I hope...:/ jajaja jk jk!:D**

**Review?**


	16. Surprise

**So, we are hurrying into the climax! **

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah. No need to remind me.**

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Surprise

The day goes normally, if by normal you mean talking in a mocking way to people who have no idea why you are even talking to them. The morning goes by slowly as I wait for the night to approach us. It's almost about lunch time, I believe.

"Hey, Pr-, Lyssa! Do you think you can go check on _him_ now?" I ask Prim. For some reason, I can't trust Zinnia right now, ever since the last time we talked in our 'conference' room.

"Sure, Krysten." And she starts walking straight forward to where Peeta's room is located. For some reason, I want to see Peeta immediately. I decide that I'll wait about ten minutes, and if Prim is still inside by that time, I'll go in. I wait silently inside the 'food' room and think about what I will say when I walk into the room.

Ten minutes later I'm walking towards the door. I hear talking on the other side of the door. Prim won't mind if I interrupt.

"Lyssa, is everything okay? You've been he-" I started but then I saw that it was not Prim talking to Peeta, but Prim talking to _her_. My eyes went to her, then to Prim, then to Prim's pink wig on the floor, and then back to her. Prim looked furious. I had never seen her like that.

_She_ was still using that gold wig of hers. I kept my gaze fixed on her, but I had to see Peeta was okay and my gaze traveled to his for just a second. Once I made sure he was well, I stared at her again.

"What are you doing here, Effie?" She… she betrayed us? She was the last person I would had imagined would do anything like this! She was one of the few people I actually trusted.

"I came to help you, of course." What a hypocrite! It's obvious she is giving us away, and she still tries to save her butt?

"How did you know we were here?"

"One of your contacts is not as reliable after all." As in one of our friends? That is impossible. Every one of us hates the Capitol and would never side with them. Still, I find myself asking.

"Do I want to know who?" Effie is about to answer when a voice I dread so much makes its presence.

"You have done well, my dear." Instantly, the room has a smell of bloody roses.

Effie looks relieved. "Why, thank you." Then she grins very stupidly.

"Katniss! It's been such a long time!" I start backing away from him. "I knew you would do anything to come back for your boyfriend." At the word _boyfriend,_ his serpent eyes glanced towards Peeta. "Of course, that was only for the audience. So, what is the real reason for your being here?" I momentarily flinch at that comment. My throat is in a tight knot.

I surprise myself by answering steadily. "I came for Peeta."

"And how is that working for you? As I see, not very well. You are cornered and no one even knows that you are here. How sad." I want to answer that he _is _wrong. That there are three people out there who will help us. But that would defy the purpose.

"Yeah. I think I get the picture." By now, my back was against the cold wall.

"I'm so sorry it has to be this way, Katniss, but I can't let you proceed to fulfill your plan." He took a radio out from the inside of his jacket and talked into it. I knew this was too easy. But it was also planned perfectly so I let that mask the reality. Now the Peacekeepers are going to take Peeta, Prim, and me to who knows where. I've dragged Prim to all this. I knew she couldn't come but Haymitch never listened to me and now she has to pay for it.

Surprise is a word that doesn't explain what is happening because one thing is knowing it would happen and another is pretending that it was impossible for it to happen. I knew it would happen. This is where all my paranoia comes to notice.

The Peacekeepers are pushing me and that's when I remember. I still have a secret weapon. As I walk past him I hiss at him, "Your plan will fall slowly, President Snow, you'll see." I smile at him but he just takes it as a joke. He just looked amused and laughed at me.

I left the room smiling. Oh, boy was he going to fall.

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**Shortest chapter in the history of Fighting. Sorry. But if you want to read this in Peeta's POV go to my other story: Remembering Nothing About Her. Chapter 2! See you there!**

**Review?**


	17. Pearl

**Sorry for not updating before, but I've been horribly busy! I apologize!**

**Disclaimer: So, how was your day?**

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Pearl

I've been daydreaming about this moment for as long as they told me that we would go rescue him. And it scares me how accurate it became. I've never been very optimistic, but I can't help but think that my negative thoughts are what brought me to this point. And the disturbing part is that I've survived two Hunger Games and that now, my death will go unnoticed.

They threw us into the cell. It's dark and eerie. It basically consists of three walls of solid cement and one wall with iron bars going from the ceiling to the floor. It took me a moment to process that I didn't have to be Krysten anymore. That I could be Katniss again without the fear of President Snow coming and killing me off. Of course, that was about to happen.

I look over at Prim, who quickly took her place and dozed off. We haven't slept since before we came into the Capitol and I begin feeling a little bit tired. But then my eyes fall on Peeta and without thinking, I wrap my arms around him and hug him.

I start murmuring his name over and over again. Then after a few seconds, I break our embrace but keep my hold on his neck as to make sure he won't leave the moment I can't feel his skin anymore.

"What's your name?" He asks and I feel I'm about to break down. Of course he doesn't remember me.

"Katniss." I tell him softly.

"Katniss." He repeats as if tasting the name in his tongue. "I like that name. Although it seems awfully familiar."

"Of course it's familiar. It's my name." After a pause, I bring myself to ask. "You really don't remember anything about me?" I just had to make sure. He shakes his head softly. "Come on, then," I say as I take his hand and walk him to the wall so we can sit. "I'll tell you all about your life."

And there I am, telling Peeta about every detail of his life. I tell him about everything I remember about him. I tell him of the outlines of how District 12 was and about his dad's profession. I tell him about the first day of school and about him winning second place in wrestling. And there to where it all started: the day of the reaping. Of our outfits, of his confession of love towards me and about how mad I was. I don't even try to take the embarrassing parts out because this is his life and he has all the right to know. I tell him of when the Games started and he was with the Carriers. I tell him about Rue and what we did together. I tell him how mad and betrayed I felt but that I understood. I tell him of when he saved me from Cato and how he took the blow that almost killed him. I tell him of the rule change and me looking for him until I found him. I tell him of the days in the cave and of the first time I kissed him. I tell him the true intentions and everything. He has to know after all. I tell him of the feast and of Thresh. I tell him of our talks in the cave and then the day we went to the Cornucopia for Cato. Then the berries. I tell him what they actually symbolized for all Panem.

Then it's the interviews, the hugging, the kissing, the holding hands, and the train, where he found out it was all an act. From there to the Victory Tour, where we became friends again, and our engagement. He seemed to tense up at that part but never interrupted. All along I kept a hold of his hand. Once in a while playing with his fingers. Then my plans of running away, the plans for an uprising, and Gale's whipping. I had to explain who was Gale. Then I got to the part of the Quell. When he got very strict with Haymitch and me about it. Then the day of our second reaping and how he volunteered to go in with me.

Then it all went again. Our outfits, our scores, and his confession of me being pregnant. Of that day were they gave us the day off and we went up to the roof to see the sunset. Then I told him about the Quell. About him almost dying and Finnick bringing him back. About the locket. About Beetee and Wiress.

When I finished talking about the pearl, I felt my eyes stinging and I remembered I still had the circles inside my eyes. I took them out, crushed them, and threw them. Then I turned to Peeta who had a questioning gaze. I was about to explain when he gasped.

"Peeta! What's wrong?" I ask frantically.

He started reaching into the pockets of his pants. This is the most alive I had seen him since I came to rescue him, and it made me smile. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for and drew his hand out of his pockets. He opened his hand to show me.

I gasped. My heartbeat quickened. I could barely breathe. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I… I had lost it. In the arena when I shot the arrow. I never found it and now its here. In his hand. My pearl. He… he had it?

"If what you just told me is true, then I believe this belongs to you." Then he grabbed my hand, opened it, and put the pearl in my palm. I couldn't do anything. I didn't know if say thank you or hug him. It was all so complicated! I ended up just nodding, since I didn't trust my voice too much. I tear slid down my cheek and I saw Peeta's face frown. "Why are you crying?"

"Because it hurts her to remember." Answered a voice I hadn't heard in a while. I saw Prim coming over to sit in front of us. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained. I opened my arms to let her come in. She moved and sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around me. This felt so much like before. I could have been fooled. I felt Prim sob in my shoulder and the tears in my shirt.

I opened my eyes to find Peeta staring. His face was in a soft and delicate expression. I managed to smile and I saw him smile. He already knew that Prim was my sister. When I first told him, he had made an expression that told me he couldn't believe it but didn't ask anything. Suddenly, I felt Prim's breathing become softer. Then, I heard a faint… snore? I almost laughed but them I remembered where we were.

"She fell asleep?" I ask Peeta, although I already know the answer.

Peeta goes around checks. "Yup." He says and comes back to sit next to me. "Well, I'm sure that you are not done, but by the looks of it, we have a pretty messed up life, right?"

I nod. "Yep. Nothing we can do about it."

"But also from what you have said, I see that my life would be empty if you weren't in it." He says. There is no sense of regret in his voice, but I'm not sure if he thinks that it is good or bad.

"Peeta, I-"

"No, it's true. And I'm perfectly fine with it." He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "What I still don't understand is, if you were finally able to get rid of me, why did you come back?" I don't understand what he is talking about.

"Because I _don't_ want to get rid of you. I came back because… because you are the one that was supposed to come back alive. I swore to myself that you would get out of the arena alive. Then I wake up and they tell me that the Capitol has you and I realize that I'm safe. But the truth is… the truth is that I'm never safe without you." And once it's out I realize it's true. I could have gone crazy after our first Hunger Games if it wasn't for him. I would be a drunk just like Haymitch. Peeta is the only victor who was not changed by the Capitol. He remained pure while the rest of us became Capitol pets. And I admire him greatly for that.

Peeta laughs bitterly at my statement. "Our current status would like to differ." I smiled, since what he was saying is true.

"Maybe. But nothing matters much when I have the people I love most with me."

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**So the fluffiness never ends. I'm sorry, but as my friend once said, "fluffiness, action, happiness, sadness. It doesn't matter. They all make a story better." -Phineas(07XReflectional):D**

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	18. Betrayal

**Sorry for the wait! (Even though it wasn't that long...) Anyways, this is definetely the climax of the story. Well, this and the next chapter, I'm sure... okay, I don't know!:D**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Nah. No. Nada. Neh. (I would say no in more languages if i just knew more languages.)**

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Betrayal

I could tell Peeta was a bit confused about what I had said, but didn't question it. He took Prim from my arms and held her, head on his shoulder. They looked so adorable together, if it weren't for the cement background.

"She looked pretty heavy for you." He explained. I was about to punch him in the shoulder just for fun, but I figured it would hurt him. So I just flashed him one of my rare smiles.

"Thanks." I decided that I had to tell him. I had been dwelling on telling him or not and I couldn't find any cons on telling him. Only of course, that this room was bugged, but I could always whisper to him.

"Peeta, there is something I have waited very long to tell you." He looked at me expectantly. I leaned forward and whispered fast in his ear. I told him about the box Venus had given me and what it could do. I realized that it would be sooner or later that the guards would check me for any type of weapons. It felt weird that they hadn't already taken everything. Peeta caught on that he should act as if I'm telling him something funny and laughed. He made it sound very convincing and I was glad of it.

"Okay, I'm going to stop whispering and you are going to stretch your hand for me to take it. Then I'll pass you the box." I looked back and saw him smile and nod. He stretched his hand as I told him. I got the box in my hand and took his. With this I passed the box onto him. I figured, if they had not taken the pearl away, they would not stop to think he might have something. I told him that when he felt that he needed to use it he should. I had pushed the red button a few minutes ago to inform of everyone near me that I was in trouble and needed help.

I hated admitting that I needed help but it didn't matter much since Peeta was with me now. Maybe not safe, but he was with me. I smiled at the thought. He pressed my hand against his and I realized we couldn't hold hands exactly with the box in the middle. I made an excuse.

"Let's try laying Prim somewhere. You might get tired." We got up and I helped him putting Prim next to us were we could see her. I saw him putting his hand into his pants, securing the box in his pocket, just as my pearl was in mine. Now we just had to wait for someone to come, good or bad, but someone had to come. Soon.

We sat back in our little place again. It felt so much like the cave, except for the snores of a _someone_ nearby. I laughed a little bit.

Peeta decided to break the silence after a few minutes. "Don't worry, Katniss. They'll have to come, sooner or later." I would say he read my mind but the thing is he didn't. I'm very easy to read, even when I try to mask my face. And right now, I wasn't masking my face. I would save that for President Snow. I nodded to Peeta and he gave me a reassuring squeeze in my hand. I squeezed back.

We waited agonizing minutes waiting for someone to come. Anyone. I couldn't care less if it was a guard or Finnick. I just wanted someone to come. I was getting irritated and Peeta was noticing. He kept trying to shush me.

"You should get some sleep, Katniss." I shake my head one more time even though my eyelids are threatening on shutting. "When was the last time you slept?" I try to think of the last time I slept but I'm too tired to think at this moment.

"I don't remember. But I can't go to sleep, Peeta." He puts his index finger under my chin and makes me face him.

"Katniss, there are bags under your eyes. I may not know too much, but I do know that it means you need sleep." He leaned closer to whisper, "You need sleep if you have any hopes of getting out of here." I snapped my head away and looked in his eyes. Something I saw in his eyes made me nod.

I snuggle close to him. He tensed a little before putting his arm around me. I can tell he still can't get over the fact that he can't remember me. But the thought is quickly put away as I close my eyes, immediately falling asleep.

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I wake up to the banging of metal and Peeta shaking me awake. For a second I am back to the arena where I need to fend for Peeta and me but someone beat me to it. Peeta is already standing and blocking me with his body. I stand up and look at him. He seems confused. That's when I know for certain that there is still a chance of Peeta recovering his memory. He is still in there subconsciously. He just has to resurface and come back.

I'm taken from my thoughts once more to hear a screeching sound and more metal banging against each other. I take Peeta's hand and I risk a question.

"What's happening?" He looks at me and shakes his head.

"No idea. One moment I was thinking in utter silence and the next," he gestures to outside of our prison with his hand. It's too dark to see anything outside. Then, I remember we are not alone.

"Prim! We need to wake her up." Peeta nods and we both go over to her, one on each side. I shake her awake. "Prim. Prim, wake up!" She groans a little and mumbles something on the lines of, "five more minutes, please." I smile. Then I shake her a little rougher. She snaps her eyes open.

"What's wrong?" She asks as she sits down.

"We are not entirely sure." I say looking over to Peeta who is looking outside of our cell. I look over and see someone stop in front of our prison. I grab Prim and force her to stand. She grabs my hand almost as a reflex. I can't help but smile a little. This is going as I planned.

Peeta looks at me and I can see the ghost of a smile in his face. I guess he realized that my plan was going to work after all. I lift my eyebrows asking him if he is ready. He just nods and looks back to the metal bars.

"This is it." I murmur to Prim. She looks at me with a questioning gaze but I can't explain. It's time for action and not for talking.

The person in front of our cell, a Peacekeeper I suppose, doesn't move. He or she just stays there, watching us. Something about the frame of the person is familiar to me. The person is definitely a woman by the way her feet are positioned. She seems to be waiting for something. Who knows? All I know is that her just standing there is putting my nerves on end.

Finally, it seems she got tired of watching and got a radio out and spoke through it. I didn't get to hear her voice to identify her. Somehow, she passed the metal bars and is now standing inside of our cell.

"No." Gasped Prim who, I guess, realized who the girl in front of us is. I still have absolutely no idea of who she is. But now that she is closer I can see her small and slender form. I know right away that I've met her before. I know her but my memory doesn't seem to be working.

The small ray of light passes through her hair helping me see her color of hair. She has a dark blue, like the sky when there is no moon. She looks ashamed, but of what? I don't know.

"Why?" It was Prim who asked. The girl was taken aback by her talking.

"I have a family too, Prim. I lost some and I can't afford to lose the rest." Said the girl directly to Prim.

I put my hand over my mouth. I knew that voice. We had not talked after her outburst.

"How selfish of you." I spat at her. I looked at Peeta, who looked confused, and in this case, he had all right to. He didn't know her. "You are the contact, huh? The one Effie told us about?" She nodded sheepishly.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Katni-"

"No you're not. You are not sorry. So don't even try to lie." She flinched by the venom in my voice.

"You're right. I am not sorry. I did this for my family. I lost a big part of me when my parents died. I can't lose the rest." She said.

"What are you doing here, anyways?" Asks Prim. "Did President Snow let you kill us? What a pleasure that would be for you, right?" I had never heard Prim talk in this way. I was a bit proud of her.

She started shaking her head furiously. "No. President Snow does not know I am here. I… I came to say that I'm sorry."

If I had been in any other situation, I would have laughed. I smiled. "And what makes you think you deserve our forgiveness? You basically dragged us to our graves."

"You, out of everyone, should know what it feels like to lose someone you love. I just-"

"-can't afford to lose someone you love." I finished for her. "I understood that the first two times you said it." I say back to her.

Suddenly, we hear someone else coming in to the room. Looks like we have a party. "And I thought I had taught you better." Said Vensten, with his low voice, coming in.

She turned around to face her brother. "Vensten! W-what are y-you doing here?" She stuttered.

"What have _you_ been doing?" he asked.

"Thinking of us. While you are out there with your million girlfriends, _I'm_ the one that has to look out for us three." She replied.

"I guess I'm the worst big brother there is if I've made you _this_ selfish and arrogant."

Zinnia laughed bitterly. "Me? Arrogant?" She laughed again. "You should think what you are saying to people before you start describing _yourself_." Whoa.

"No. In this case, it was _you_ who did not think. _You_ were just thinking of yourself and how _you _would feel. Did you even bother to ask Gared and me? No. _You_ made _your_ own assumptions making _you_ selfish. What surprised me the most, I must say, was your stupidity." Zinnia flinched. "You never thought that if we got Peeta and the rest into safety, maybe we could fight the Capitol and defeat them. And want to hear the best part? Oh, yeah! The Capitol would be _gone!_ That meaning no more Hunger Games! We would all be safe and happy. Did you ever stop to think if _we _would be happy with your plans? No! You were just thinking of _your _happiness." Ouch! I heard Zinnia sob, but I'm not sure. "Zinnia," Vensten's voice became softer, "you know I love you, but… this is your most stupid idea yet!" I smile crept into Vensten's face. "And yes, this is worst than the time you flooded the house because you wanted to be a mermaid." I think I heard Zinnia laugh.

"I'm sorry." She whispered barely audible. Then, she flung herself into Vensten's arms and he hugged her.

"It's okay. You could have done worst, you know?" Zinnia punched him and Vensten laughed. This is the first time I've seen Vensten show his feelings freely and I must say he is very nice. He is like the big brother any girl would want.

"Well, this is quite an adorable scene, isn't it?" The room was immediately filled with the odor of bloody roses. We were so caught up in the scene in front of us that we didn't see President Snow coming in with few Peacekeepers with guns poised to kill at his feet. "I'm glad everyone is here. This way I will have witnesses to what is about to happen."

"What is about to happen, Snow?" I ask, because curiosity always takes over.

"No need to ask, my dear." He said with a smile plastered in his fake face as he raised his gun pointing it directly at my heart.

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***Biting nails* I seriously started slaming in my desk after writting the last lines. It was totally unexpected.:D**

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	19. End

**Okay, so this is NOT the end, okay? The chapter's name has NOTHING to do with the ending. I must say it might be a lot of time before the ending comes. And, yes, that means I won't have it finished before Mockingjay comes out. But no worries! I won't copy anything that happens on the book, now read the next warning.**

**WARNING: You will be happy in the middle and then you will want to kill me. I will give you my apologies beforehand.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own President Snow's evil mind.:(**

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End

There was one other time that I knew for certain I would die. When I risked my life for Peeta's by going to the feast to fetch his medicine. Clover had me. She was about to torture me in the worst way possible but then Thresh saved me. I still owe him my life for that, but unfortunately he died. But here I was again. About to die. But it was different now since it was not just me involved. Prim, Peeta, Vensten, and Zinnia were here too, and once I was gone, they wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

Everything that happened next seemed to be in slow motion. I heard an "Ouch!" come from Zinnia and next thing I knew, President Snow's gun was on the floor next to the blue wig that belonged to her. Snow was momentarily surprised before he assumed his president role once again.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" He yelled. Unfortunately for him, the Peacekeepers were overall confused staring at the wig and didn't know what had just happened. Snow noticed this. "I said kill them, you fools! Shoot!" If I had been in any other situation I would had laughed at his face. His eyes looked funny since they were opened wide and his mouth was hanging open. I wonder how it is that he became President first of all.

The Peacekeepers finally understood the commands, but it was too late. We had already moved away and Vensten had provided us with knives. We were all ready for the blood bath that was certain to come, but we were instead blown off our feet by an explosion coming from the far wall of the cell. We were farther from it, so I suppose the Peacekeepers received the worse of it. We stood up and found some Peacekeepers going for their weapons.

"Get them while they are down." I whispered. Then I realized I could barely hear myself. We must've had blasted our eardrums. I had hated the feeling two years ago in one of my ears, and now it was in both. I growled out of frustration.

I looked at everyone and realized I didn't have to say anything. They knew what they had to do and Vensten and Zinnia were already charging to the few Peacekeepers that had gotten too close to their weapons. I ran to the nearest weapons and grabbed as many as I could. I grabbed four guns and a taser. I started to run back to where Peeta and Prim where to give them guns. They weren't my weapon of selection but it was better than knives in many ways.

I had not yet caught any glimpse of President Snow. I hoped he had not been covered by the debris because that was not the way he was supposed to die. He had to suffer. A painless death is for those who deserve it. He wasn't one of those. He deserved none of my pity.

Just as I was closing in to where Peeta had a Peacekeeper on a death grip, someone grabbed me by the neck and pushed me back, almost choking me. The smell of blood intersected with roses instantly hit my nostrils. Fear flickered through my emotions but I quickly hid it and fought with determination for Snow to let go of me. He took the weapons I had collected and threw them to the floor. I was weaponless once again. I kicked and punched at Snow, but his grip never loosened.

"This is where it ends, Mockingjay, you will never see the light of day again. You hear me? Never! You tried to ruin me and my perfect society. But once you are gone, everything will go back to normal. No one will try to rebel again. This is where your little game took you." Only one thing got to me.

"Perfect society? Sounds like crap to me, honestly." I spat.

"A moment from your death and you can still be arrogant. I must admit, I admire you for your stubbornness. If you weren't seconds from being a corpse, I would have never admitted such thing. But this is the end. Your end." I gasped as I felt the cold blade of his knife against my neck. _So this is it. I've accomplished so much to go down by the blade of a kitchen knife. Epic I must say._

I felt the knife pierce my throat and a single goblet of blood fell. My blood felt hot against my cold skin. I finally surrendered. I knew it. I was going to die. _Crack!_ I felt something, or rather someone, crack. The knife fell limply on the floor and the arm holding me by the neck loosened. I turned to look at what had happened and I was met by a pair of blue eyes. That's when I knew it. I smile split across my face.

"You're back!" I jumped on his arms and his immediately hugged me back.

"I've missed you." He broke us apart and I stared onto those blue orbs of his. They had the love and warmth they had lacked before. He was back. My Peeta was back. "We should get back to killing Peacekeepers if we want to live." Ever the voice of reason said. I nodded and then I remembered Snow.

"Snow!" I say. Peeta looks confused but understood quickly.

"Oh, yeah. I punched him." He pointed to Snow's body in the floor where he was stirring.

"We should tie him up before he goes assaulting anyone else."

"I believe he just wants to assault you." He said and smirked. I punched him playfully and he just laughed.

We tied him up with some rope provided by a dead Peacekeeper. We left him there and Peeta punched him once more. I looked at him questioning.

"For the blood in your neck." He said explaining while wiping it off my neck. I shivered when he touched my wound. He bent down to grab guns and tasers left by more dead Peacekeepers and passed me two guns, a knife, and a taser. I started to charge for a Peacekeeper who Vensten was fighting but was stopped by Peeta's hands on my waist.

I turned to look at him and he bent over and his lips were on mine. I was surprised at first but instantly responded. I had been craving for this the last couple of days and he was finally mine. I would have wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms like this forever and forget about the whole fight, but I knew I couldn't. We pulled apart reluctantly.

"We will make it out of this alive, okay? Promise?"

"We've made it our of worst situations, Katniss." He said, our foreheads touching.

"Still, Peeta. Promise me… promise me you won't leave me."

"Never. I promise you I will never leave. I'll come back." He kissed me in the forehead and added as an afterthought, "Alive." Then he left me to go help Zinnia.

I turned on my heal and saw Vensten struggling with three Peacekeepers. I run and helped him with the two that were bothering him the most and he finished the one left.

"Thanks." He said.

"No problem." Then I started looking for Prim. I spotted her dodging some hits from a Peacekeeper. I was instantly mad and run over to the Peacekeeper and killed him before he could actually hurt Prim. I looked at Prim after I had just slit the Peacekeepers throat. She was staring at the body of the man. I grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her to look at me.

"Prim, are you okay?" She nodded. "Okay, let's go help the others." We started walking but I realized she was limping. I looked at her leg and saw a deep cut. "Prim! You are cut!" I got on my knees to examine her cut, but she pulled me back up.

"Katniss, I'm fine. It's just a cut. I can walk. I'll get it fixed once we are out of here." She said with muffled pain that she was trying to restrain, but I could still hear it. She looked over confident but I nodded. She was right. The faster we could get out of here the better.

I looked around to see who needed help. I saw Peeta battling two Peacekeepers. Zinnia was faring well with a Peacekeeper and she finished him off. Vensten was also struggling with two and they kept coming. I decided I would go help Vensten, but I wanted Prim to be safe.

"Prim, take this taser and stay away from the fight as much as possible. Try to not to use your leg too much either."She nodded and I started going towards Vensten. I helped him with a Peacekeeper that had just joined the party and that's when we all heard it. The scream.

"No. No. No. No." I kept repeating to myself. This could not be happening. I dropped my gun and ran to the place where I left her. The first thing I saw was him with his ruined expensive suit looking at the floor with a huge, stupid smile in his face. _How did he take the ropes off?_ Was what I was thinking at the moment.

I looked at were he was looking and my whole world collapsed. She laid there in the floor looking for someway to clutch the knife in her stomach. A pool of blood was growing from around her. Right there she reminded me of her. Only this was so different. Instead of a spear it was a knife. Instead of woods surrounding her it was the gray cement walls. And instead of her being my ally, she was my sister.

"No!" I yelled and ran next to where Prim was lying with a knife in her stomach. Peeta was instantly at my side holding me in his arms. I sobbed onto his shirt, ruining it. I grabbed Prim's hand in both of mine and she slowly opened her eyes to see me. Rage boiled inside me.

I turned to look at him. My sister's killer. He turned around and looked at me with his icy cold eyes and the smile never leaving his face. "I told you this would end."

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**So kill me! Flames are accepted for this particular chapter.**

**Review?**


	20. Sweet Dreams

**There is no way that I will be forgiven. Three weeks! That's like a sin! I'm so sorry, but adjusting to a new school is harder than i thought. (Thinking that I have done it a lot of times.) Anyways, I'm trying to get chapters up but all this homework, and then rehearsals, are killing me! I barely have time to text. That's how bad this is! Anyways, enough of my problems. Some of you will hate me even more after this chapter. Also, quick reminder: Last chapter and more than half of this chapter were done _before_ Mockingjay came out. **

**Disclaimer: I lost that credibility when I stopped updating...:/**

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Sweet Dreams

My job has been shattered in less than five minutes. Five years ago, I had eaten less to provide Prim more when our food supplies were running low. Two years ago, her name had been drawn in the reaping and I took her place to keep her from a certain death. After the games, I kept going with all the romance with Peeta so that Snow wouldn't kill her. A few days ago, I had argued with Haymitch about leaving her behind in District 13, but he would just not listen. And now, all my life's work is depending on that knife stuck on my sister's stomach.

I look down at my dying sister. I hear other voices around me, yelling. I hear weapons against weapons. But everything that matters to me at the moment is the blonde girl in front of me who shares my blood. The blood is flowing, tainting her white shirt. I look at her. Tears are rolling down her young face but a genuine smile is playing on her lips. She is forming words with her mouth but I can't hear them. I bent over and put my ear over her mouth. Her breath sending shivers down my spine. Then I heard her faint whisper.

"Win. For me." I looked at her as new tears were making my vision blurry. The look in her eyes was of determination. I knew instantly that she wanted an answer.

I nodded. "We started this, and we are going to finish it." I said. My voice was breaking through the whole statement. She smiled once more at my words and with that, I saw as her ever brilliant eyes turned dull and lifeless. A sob escaped my lips. I felt arms wrap around my back as I buried myself in his shirt.

This, all this, felt like a nightmare. One of the worst nightmares in my life. How did it end up to this? She… she was not supposed to die! She, of all of us, was the one that deserved the happy life that was guaranteed to her. That I have been fighting all my life for her to have hers.

"She… she's really gone." I tell Peeta in between sobs.

He pulled me back. "No. She will never be gone. As long as you and everyone else remember her here," He pointed to my temple, "and here." He moved his finger from my forehead to my chest, over my heart. I heard his words over and over again in my head and realized they are true. Prim is not really gone. She is with me. She will be. The thought makes me smile.

That's when I remember her words.

_Win. For me._

I look again at my sister. I close her eyes. She looks like she could just be sleeping, but I know better. Tears are pooling in my eyes again. I quickly kiss her forehead and whisper something to her ear.

"Sweet dreams, little duck." I can almost hear her giggle in my mind.

I stand up and find Peeta already up. A confused expression is masking his face. He's not looking at me but at the fight. The fight! I turn around and what I see surprises me.

Three redheads are in a circle, their backs to each other. The Graces. They are surrounded by at five Peacekeepers that are closing in on them. They are looking at each other and once they nod their heads, they immediately launch themselves onto the Peacekeepers. Were are Zinnia, Vensten, and Gared?

_Win. For me._

"Come on, Peeta. Let's end what we started." I look at him and he nods in agreement. We look frantically on the floors for weapons, when I'm handed a Peacekeeper's discarded gun. I look up to see who the giver is and I find myself focused on sea green eyes.

"Too stunned to find me here, are you?" Finnick smirks and I have the urge to roll my eyes. "Better get going. I don't want to miss Snow this time." He then leaves to go slit a Peacekeeper's throat that got uncomfortably close to Annie. Annie! Next to her is Johanna Mason, her facial expression suggesting she's bored, but her eyes tell a whole other story.

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve. The tears make it hard to see as I should know. I look around and catch a pair of gray eyes looking at me while fighting a Peacekeeper. I see the hesitation in his eyes. He doesn't want to kill. That's not who he is. I shoot my gun towards the Peacekeeper bothering Gale. He falls immediately. He looks at me. His eyebrows rise. He is questioning me. I shake my head and go look for a fight that will keep my mind off the subject of Prim.

_Win. For me._

The words keep repeating themselves over and over again in my head. This is for her. It all actually started because of her and it should end because of her. I don't regret volunteering for her at all. It was what was supposed to happen. Were would _we_ be now if I had cowardly watched my sister being killed in an arena? Possibly at home watching the new victor of the Quell parading across the streets of a mourning district. Yes, I definitely prefer being here, risking my life. I'm sure people would mourn my death, but if that means stopping the mourning of those every year, I'm up for it. They won't have to see their child being taken away to some sick game and never come back.

All these thoughts come to me as I kill Peacekeeper after Peacekeeper. It's quite scary. It's like if I'm a robot someone is controlling. The same moves. The same steps. Once in a while I'm surrounded by Peacekeepers when Peeta or Finnick come and kill most off and I take the rest. My eyes fall sometimes on Gale and I see him incapacitating the Peacekeepers, not killing them. I understand him. The first kill is always the most memorable and he is not ready to kill. Yes, we both have killed a lot of animals for survival, but they were animals all the less. These are humans with feelings and thoughts, even if they are the wrong ones.

I shake my head to rid myself of the thoughts. If I think in this way I'll soon regret killing all these people. And I can't start thinking like that.

"Duck!" I immediately duck even if it wasn't directed to me. A Peacekeeper falls dead next to me. I stand up and turn around and see Gale with a gun in his hand and the other in his hair. An incredulous look in his face. His gaze is directed to the Peacekeeper. He killed him!

I go over and kill a Peacekeeper that was about to stab him and he finally lifts his gaze to mine.

"Are… are you okay?" His voice is trembling.

"I think I should be asking you that." I study him closely. His hair is plastered to his face by sweat. His gray eyes are bloodshot. His clothes, or uniform, are ripped from every possible place. There is blood in his left arm, the one holding the gun. Close examination tells me it's his blood. A gash. But it's not deep so he can hold onto that until we are done with this. I raise my eyebrows in question.

"Y-yeah. I'll just- yeah." He stutters, his eyes going from mine to the body on the floor. I nod and go to kill a Peacekeeper when a flash of white catches my eye.

I turn around to be met by a pair of snakelike eyes. Rage boils inside of me. This is my opportunity.

_Win. For me._

I start walking towards him, but stop immediately when he starts laughing. What's that all about? I think he is finally meeting us on the side of the insanity.

"What are you going to do?" I don't dare to turn around to meet Peeta's blue eyes. I feel that if I let my gaze drifts to any other place, Snow will disappear, and I really can't afford that.

"I don't know. Any suggestions?" Venom is sipping from my voice.

"You shouldn't kill him." What? "Not yet. Not here." I turn to look at him. He is watching Snow. He doesn't drop his gaze to mine not even once. His face is of determination and I understand him immediately.

"Okay. So, what do we do meanwhile?" _Because we can't just leave him there while we kill his army._ I bet he is calling more every time we kill one of his lots.

"Tie him up. Leave him in a corner. A few minutes ago, Finnick told me that they had contacted District 13 and that they would be here in any second. So I suppose the best thing to do is to just wait." From my peripheral vision I see him turn around, surveying the area. "We are almost finished with them. Five more, and those redheads."

I had forgotten how Peeta doesn't know the Graces, but there is no time to discuss this. "They're on our side. Come on. Let's go tie Snow." I grab his hand and tug him forward. "Do you have rope?" He nods and holds some up with his free hand. "Okay, then."

_Win. For me._

He is just standing there looking at us. A grin is tugging at the corner of his lips. Snow looks at us curiously. Like if he doesn't know what to do about us. Well, like if there is anything he can do. He was never able to control me, and when it looked like he was about to, he just failed. So, why do does he look like he's forming a plan?

I grab my gun and hit him in the stomach with the butt. He doubles over in pain but when I kneel down to put the rope around his hands, I see the smile in his face. But what scares me is not that he is smiling, but that the smile is genuine. He is happy. But of what?

"Do I deserve the honor to know what that smile in your face is for?" I sneer at him.

"Why, my dear, you don't really deserve anything. But I'll tell you all the same." I look at him, awaiting his answer. He lifted his gaze and looked over my shoulder. His eyes were full of adoration, one thing I had never seen in them. I turned around to see what he was watching. Three redheads were fighting the last remaining Peacekeepers while Gale and Finnick were nowhere in sight.

"I just never thought I would be able to see my nieces once again."

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***gasps* I KNOW! jajaja! Okay, so I hope that by Saturday or Sunday I'll have next chapter up.**

**Also, I want to give a special thanks to my beta who saw A LOT of my problems and helped me out. Love you! (07XReflectional) That's another reason why I took so long. It was suppose to be up on Sunday but I'm glad it wasn't! There was so much that I had missed!**

**Review?**


	21. Fault

**Short, I know, but I honestly couldn't make it longer. It would have been the size of two chapters and that's not how I write. Anyways, I promised a chapter and here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I totally own Venus right at this moment.:D**

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Fault

My hands stilled at his wrists. I looked back into the eyes of the person I most hate in my life. He looked at me, expectant, waiting for my answer. I… I didn't know what to say! I was tongue-tied. I looked back to the Graces and for once I saw the resemblance. The high cheekbones and pronounced noses. I could even say a bit of the insanity was in the family. Saturn with the intelligence. Mercury with her jumpiness and overall craziness. Venus with her evil plans toward how to destroy the Capitol. I never knew the whole family tree of them but I never thought it would stretch this far.

"What!" It wasn't me who said it, but Peeta. It made perfect sense that this was his reaction since he doesn't know the Graces. But it's still a very basic question.

I turned to look at Snow and raised my eyebrows, agreeing with Peeta.

He laughed and all I really wanted to do was punch him. Thankfully, I didn't have to because someone did for me. I looked up to see if it had been Peeta, but to my surprise the punch came from Saturn. Tears were running down her cheeks. Her midnight eyes were red. She raised her fist again to land another punch when Mercury and Venus were backing her away. They also had tears ruining their cheeks.

I caught Venus gaze and it said to keep going. She meant to keep tying him up. I tied his wrists while Peeta did his feet. Suddenly, Vensten materialized behind the huge smoke cloud caused by the explosion. I'll ask who the explosion was aimed at later. There are other things that have me far more occupied than an explosion.

"They're here! Come on! We have to go back to District 13!" He yelled to us. He ran toward us and helped Peeta with carrying Snow. They were going outside where some hovercrafts had materialized. I looked to my right to see the three redheads against a wall. All had they're eyes closed while tears trailed down their cheeks to their necks. I walked over to them and tapped them all to open their eyes.

"Come on. We should get going." They nodded and we started walking, but the farther I got the more I couldn't leave this place. This is where Prim held her last breath. Prim! She can't stay here under this entire ruble. I find Peeta and run to him. "Peeta!" He turns around and looks at me questioning. "Prim!" His eyes widen as he pushes me back to our cell.

"Wait! We'll be right back!" Peeta yells to whoever is riding the hovercraft. We hurried over to the place were Prim laid in a puddle of her own blood. Peeta looks down at her. His face is full of sorrow. He looks at me and I nod. He gently takes the knife off Prim's stomach and lifts her up. Her delicate head resting on his shoulder. She might as well be sleeping.

We walk back in silence. A conversation is not needed at this moment.

When we get back, someone inside the hovercraft helps Peeta with Prim. After that, he helps me up and then he goes. Peeta and I take our seats. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Gale, Finnick, Annie, Johanna, Vensten, Gared, and Zinnia are all in here. None of us say a word. I would like to ask what is all this about President Snow and his family tree, but I know it's not the best moment.

That's when I remember Prim. A fresh wave of pain assaults my body as sobs come and tears fall. Peeta has his arms around me immediately. He doesn't try giving me soothing words because there are no type of words that could make this pain go away. I'm aware that I have an audience but really don't care. This is what I'm feeling and I'm not ashamed of it in any way.

Haymitch comes in making me turn around to face him. He looks happy and sober.

"Nice job, guys! I see you got Johanna, Annie," he looks at Peeta, who is hugging me while I cry, "and Peeta." His smile fades as he sees me. Confusion settles on his face until his eyes widen and he searched the room. Once his suspicions are confirmed, he just sits in an n empty seat and puts his head on his hands.

Anger boils in me. It's his fault after all. I stand up.

"I told you it was a bad idea! I knew she couldn't come! I knew she would die! But you just had to go putting all the people, I love, in danger, didn't you?" My voice catches at the end and I break down once again in uncontrollable sobs. Peeta kneels next to me and tries to calm me down. Haymitch orders everybody to another room, leaving Peeta, him, and me alone.

"You know that I didn't want her to die." He says with what sounds like guilt in his voice, but for all I know, it could be false.

"Do I? Do I, really? I think you just made Prim as a piece of your games. You just love playing games with life, don't you?" My voice has a dark edge that I bet is really scary.

"Look, Katniss. I'm sorry. This was not supposed to happen. I promise you that we will talk when we get back. Right now we have to interrogate Snow." He stood up and made his way to the door. It closed behind him. I just laid there kneeled on the floor, hugging Peeta close to me.

"Let's go, Katniss. I don't think you want to miss this." I nodded and looked at him. His eyes were to the brim with tears. He loved Prim too.

"Sorry." He looked confused as I said it.

"Sorry? You? What for?" I asked.

"For ruining your shirt." I looked at it. It was soaking wet from all my tears. He laughed a little.

"Come on, Katniss." He stood up, grabbed my hand, and led the way.

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"Hello, uncle." Her voice was awfully formal and it filled with venom at the word 'uncle'. We were in a compartment that looked strangely a lot like our prison back in the Capitol. We were still inside the hovercraft on our way to District 13.

"Venus." He nodded acknowledging her, his smile never leaving his face.

She slapped him. "Stop smiling, would you? It's creepy and it's getting on my nerves!" She huffed and in any other situation she would have looked childish, but her voice was deadly and it changed everything.

"You haven't changed at all. You have grown, of course. I haven't seen you since…" His smile spread again over his face. Peeta squeezed my hand in reassurance. I squeezed back.

"_Since what_? Since you came to District 13 and killed our parents? Your _siblings!_ Since you took them away from us and made us grow up without the amount of love we needed from them?" She tried to minimize her anger but it was truly impossible. I had never seen Venus this mad before in all the time I've known her. She took a deep breath. "You think I'm stupid, don't you? Yes, we were probably three or four years old, but I'll tell you something. You never forget the day when you see your mom in a puddle of crimson blood not answering to your calls." Her voice caught at the end of the sentence as fresh new tears flowed down. President Snow's smile faded. "You have no idea of the psychological problems you have caused us. Mercury cries herself to sleep because she is starting to forget how her dad looked. Saturn has emotional breakdowns every time there is a mention of mental illnesses. And me? I commit myself to making plans to figure out how I'll kill you. How I'll destroy you, torturing you until the very end. Because this is one thing I do know for certain," She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "there is no way you're winning this one, _uncle._"

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**Eeek! You like? Tell me about how OCC Haymitch was!**

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	22. Proof Part 1

**Yup. I'm horrible. Sorry, this story is closing to an end. Probably a few more chapters. I've lost many of you as redears for my not updating so quickly and I'm very very sorry. Soon, all my rehearsals will be over and I will have more time for this.:D Now, enough of my blabber. Go on!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own this. Except Venus' incredible room!**

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Proof Part 1

There it is. I remember the last time I had time to contemplate it. Not that long ago now that I think about it. The day before the interviews of the Quarter Quell, Haymitch and Effie had given us the day free and we had escaped to the best place we could.

Up there in the roof. It seems like years have passed since that happened. I guess all that has occurred is more than a seventeen year old can take in the span of three and a half weeks. It seems like such a short time, and still, my life has been changed drastically in those three and a half weeks.

Proof of one: Peeta's arms around me at this moment while my head rests on his shoulder. I'll owe him forever. I've taken this burden and it will never be off. Peeta knows about this. It came up yesterday while we had lunch.

I had been thinking this over and over. Owing Peeta for everything. He always knows when something is wrong. And this was definitely not an exception.

He nudged me with his elbow from my left side. He smiled and then asked, "What's wrong? Your broccoli not convincing enough?" I had to return the smile because even though that was not the problem he was right about the broccoli.

"It's… It's nothing, really. Just thinking about everything." I sigh in defeat. Who am I fooling?

"Uh huh, sure. Now," he looked at me, seriousness tainting his voice. "Would you mind sharing what your _real _problem is?" He didn't want me to shut him out. Not now.

I exhale loudly, making a few heads turn toward us in the dining room. I look back to Peeta. "It's you!" He looked hurt and I hurried to tell him my reason. "Well, not you exactly, it's just that, what I mean is, I'll never stop owing you." I hunch back on my seat, not daring to meet his eye.

"Katniss." His voice is a soft whisper. "Katniss." He says a bit louder this time. I still don't want to see him, so I stare at my broccolis. Finally, he grabs my chin and makes me meet his gaze. "I still don't understand what you owe me." He takes a deep breath and sits back down on his chair. "I think I should be the one owing you."

"What? You? For what? You haven't done anything but been great with my situation! I'm the one that breaks down and you are there picking my pieces and putting them back together every time!" People have stopped eating to watch since my voice went up a few levels. Tears are threatening to fall down. I'm staring at my broccoli again.

Peeta grabs my face in both of his warm hands. Our noses are just centimeters away. I close my eyes, tears tread down my cheeks. I can't bear the look in his eyes at this moment. "Katniss. Open your eyes." I don't because I don't want to, but then he almost demands. "Katniss! Open your damn eyes!" I open them because there is an intensity in his voice that I've only heard a few times before, and that was when he was fuming.

The sight of his eyes took my breath away. They were the same blue eyes that I've learned to love, but there was a spark in them that… that scared me. I stared into those blue eyes. They are… mad. Angry. Damn, what did I say now?

"Promise me!" He demands, his face still hovering over mine.

"W-what? What do you want me to promise you?" My voice is barely a whisper.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second and opened them once again. The spark was gone. His voice had gone back to normal. "Promise me that you will stop cursing yourself for what life has made you go through. Don't you see? None of this has been your fault! It's just the way destiny wanted everything to be. Everything that happened wasn't a coincidence." He took a pause to draw in breath. He looked troubled as if what he was about to say would be a hit. He slowly lowered his hands to the table and looked down. "Prim's name being ripped wasn't a coincidence."

"What?" I'm confused and my throat is tightening at the mention of her name.

"I… I heard it while I was being held captive. The guards were talking about it. I think they thought I was unconscious because they were talking like if it was the type of school gossip. They said that Snow knew of you going into the woods. He wanted to teach you a lesson, or so they say. Snow thought that watching your sister die in the Games would teach you something. Of course, his plan didn't go as planned." He looked up meeting my eyes. "He never counted on you going in for her."

That makes sense. Why out of the million of slips it was Prim's that was picked?

_Because they all had her name._

The reaping was triggered to make Prim go into the Games.

"How does he dare!" I stood up, making my chair fall backwards. I started going towards the door of the cafeteria when Peeta stopped me.

"Where are you going?" He asked as he grabbed me by my shoulders.

"I'm going to get my answers." I tell him. It seems good enough because he nods with understanding and lets me go.

I run to that mint green hallway, the only hallway out of this entire place that has life in it. There are more abstract paintings now that I notice from the first time I came. I wonder who makes them…

I look at the doors. Each is different and I can make out what door belongs to whom. The first door, plain white with an intricate 'S' painted from the top to the bottom in turquoise. Saturn's room. But it's not her who I want to see.

The next door has crayon scribbling in between the bottom and the middle. There are clouds and people smiling and playing. The sun in the corner with a smile. There is no way to tell who's room this is but this is were I found Mercury and Gale. This is Mercury's room.

The last door. It's covered in orange paper. There are lines drawn in blue. If you look more closely, they are blueprints. On the bottom left corner there is a type of canon. On the top right corner is the small box that Venus had designed and had given me on the Capitol. On the middle there is a drawing of what looks like the Capitol, but in a way, it looks more normal. It has people walking, but they don't have crazy hair or clothing. They look like us. Normal.

"How do you like it?" I turn to see Venus against the threshold. Her hazel eyes looking at the drawing I was looking at. Her eyes are full of happiness and hope.

"That's how you imagine the Capitol." I say in statement.

"How I imagine and how it will be." She raised her hands and swept them down her body. "You are now looking at the one and only official architect of Panem." She smiled proudly.

"Well, congratulations Venus! This looks incredible. Just looking at this makes me want to like the Capitol." I smile half-heartedly. I think Venus notices.

"What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing' because I'm the intuitive from the family. I know how people feel and you can't deny it." She crossed her arms and bored her eyes on mine. I sighed in defeat.

"I found out something. But, in order to do what I want to do, I need to have answers. I thought you were the best suited to ask." I stare at the floor.

"Wait," She gestured with her finger. "You came to me and not Saturn?" Her grin couldn't be bigger than it was at this moment. "Oh, boy! Wait until she finds out!" She started making her way to Saturn's room until I got her arm.

"Venus! You can tell her later. This is… this is important."

"Uh huh." I think she grabbed on to the seriousness of my voice. "Okay, so I guess we talk in my room?" She asked as she points to her closed door.

"That would be best."

"Okay." She started looking in her pant pockets until she produced a keychain with a few dangling keys. She started fumbling with the keys until she found the one and placed it in the knob, opening the door. "Sorry, but my room has stuff that everyone would want." She added a bit mischievously with a dangerous smile playing at her lips.

We entered her room. If the door was full of drawings then I had not imagined what her room had. The walls were chalkboard. Blue chalkboard, and in her table next to her bed, she had about four boxes of chalk. One empty by now. The chalkboard was full of lines and swirls and numbers and words.

"Welcome to my secret hideout! This is were I plan all of my evil masterminded plans. Ever get out of ideas? Just come to me and I'll have everything you need." She went into her closet and produced a comfy-looking sweater. She put it on and added as an afterthought, "Of course, they will all be the most terrifying ideas. But, hey! They are ideas, right?" I laughed at her comment. "Okay, so what's this 'very important' topic you had to confide in me and you couldn't go to Saturn Smarty-pants?"

I smiled but when I thought of what I was going to ask her, my smile disappeared. "I wanted to ask you something. If it's too personal, don't worry. You don't have to answer it, but I need to know." She looked at me expectantly until I asked her.

"What exactly did Snow do to you?"

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**So this is part one. Next chapter will still be the flashback, I hope.(: I'll try to get it to you before the end of next week. Promise:D**

**Review?**


	23. Proof Part 2

**Life's been tough on me. I'm sorry. I'm having a lazy weekend so I may do another chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing but the Graces' plot.**

**I would like to give a huge thank you to PeetaLuvrAlways for, as she said in her review, still reads!:DD Thank you. And also to my two betas, 07XReflectional and BlondeHairBlueEyes14. Love you both! Now read. This is intense.**

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Proof Part 2

No. No! Not again. It's been three days straight now. I fail to understand how I can be so broken inside. How the slightest memory fractures me in the most horrendous way. It was the same dream. It's been the same dream over and over again and it repeats itself until I find my way out of my soiled sheets, screaming what's left of my voice. Heartbreaking sobs are wrecking out of my dry throat. I need air, water, but at the same time I don't. I just want the nightmare to end! But even I know that's too much to ask for.

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_I'm in the streets of the Capitol where our little crew walked a few days ago but it's not crowded with weird looking people. It's empty. I try to move myself in the middle of the street, waiting for a car to come and end this, the way it was supposed to be, but my feet seem stuck to the floor as I see people approaching the street in front of me. Impossibly, it's all those people that have died since I started this. There is Mags, a pleased smile in her face. There is that man from District 11 who sang Rue's melody after my speech. There is also every single Peacekeeper I have killed. But lastly, but still painful enough to kill me, comes Prim. She is exactly as I remember her when she had nothing to do with any of this, except for that smile. It has an evil glint, one that I have seen so many times and has hunted me in every possible way. That smile belongs to…_

_No! Her face starts morphing into that of _his. _I see his puffy, drawn back lips in his trademark smirk. I see him walking towards me until he stands just in front of me. He raises his hand in mock salute. I almost snort in his face but then he motions with his hand for me to wait. For some reason, I obey. He moves his face just so his lips hover over my ear. His stench reaches my nostrils making it a reflex to almost gag. _

_"Scared, Katniss?" His words sting, but not because I am scared. No, it's something horrible. I jerk back, and I see I wasn't wrong. It's Prim watching me with the same smile. She looks down at my hand and I follow her gaze. There, in my hand, is a knife, poised to her heart. "So now you kill your sister as well? I never thought you would do that, Katniss. No, never mind that! You would! Because that's what you are. A killer." _

_A malicious laughter erupts from her mouth, but it is not hers, it's Snow's. She then snaps her fingers and a hole appears beneath the people I have killed. They go into the hole without a second glance. Then, Prim comes close enough, gives me a kiss in the cheek and jumps herself into the hole. I run, trying to grab her hand before she goes, but it's too late. The last thing I hear is his laughter, echoing through the dark abyss. _

This is where I always wake up screaming. I am, at the moment, cowered at the head of my table, my back against the cold wall. I'm scared out of my mind. I need to wake up. I need to not think about this anymore.

I hear the door creak open and then a ray of light entering my dark room. I immediately know who it is. I feel his warmth radiating from his skin, even if he is still a few feet away. He walks towards my huddled shape. I see the intensity of his blue eyes. Without another wasted minute, he gathers me in his arms.

I stay motionless while I let the tears run down my cheeks and the sobs quieting a bit more every or so minutes. Meanwhile, Peeta has been kissing the crown of my head, murmuring a few, "It's okay," every now and then. And this brings me back to the other day.

Proof number two: Prim is gone. My voice of reason. The only one who could actually calm me with a smile, and now that smile hunts me in my dreams as well.

Finally, I calm down enough to finally wrap my arms around Peeta.

"Same?" He asks. He knows about it. I told him the first night, and the second, and the third for that matter.

"Yes. But every time it's worst than the last time. How can I keep going if the guilt of her death keeps hitting me square in the face every time I close my eyes?" I sigh, defeated.

He sighs. I know what he is going to say. It's not your fault she died. It was just the circumstances. Or something in those lines. Instead, I'm surprised when he doesn't deny it.

"You can't. You just have to keep moving on. That's what she would have wanted."

"You didn't deny I was guilty." I tell him.

"I didn't because I know that you would still not believe me. I understand you. I feel guilty of my family's death. But they are dead, and I'm alive. I think that I should at least try to live for what they couldn't." His words hit me. I'm not the only one that lost someone. He actually lost four people that made his life. I just lost one. I feel selfish.

"I'm sorry. I forget at times that I'm not the only one that got hurt in the process of this all." I tell him with sincerity.

"Don't worry about it. We all do. We are almost always just thinking of ourselves, we're just human. You've got the Graces as an example. They suffered more than us and they don't show it. They don't appreciate pity that much, I guess."

"I guess so, too." The other day in Venus' room was something. Her story was incredible. I had never felt so bad for someone other than victors since then. She had hesitated a bit after I asked her if I could know what had happened, but at the end she gave in.

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"_We were about four or five years old when we first met him. Saturn, Mer, and I were in grandpa's room. Grandma had just passed away. We, being that young didn't know better, but we did see the sadness in our parent's face so we were trying not to be destructive. Of course, that's like asking us to eat crap. We were failing miserably. _

"_On that day, he came in from the other side of the door. He was exactly like Mer's dad! The similarities were exact! I actually thought it was him so I stood up and hugged him. Then I realized that Saturn and Mer weren't joining in. That's when I looked up and saw that his smile was like nothing I had seen. Now, even I sport it, but it is his entire fault._

"'_Is your mom around?' He had asked me. His voice was exactly like Mer's dad also. Now I understand. They were twins. Of course, that was only in the outside. Uncle Eddie was a love! He was always sneaking us candy when we got in trouble and he himself would get in trouble with my mom. But of course, he was always making her laugh and she would forget about the candy. _

"_Well, then none of us spoke because we didn't know who the stranger was. He just looked at each of us and proceeded to the door where our parents and grandpa always got together. Saturn was the one to speak first, like always. 'Um, how can we help you?' He turned around and stared at her. She had spoken loud enough for the adults on the other side to hear. You could hear their chatter stop and then the door opened showing my dad with my mom next to him, the rest on back of them. _

"_My mom just had the same jaw formation and nose as Snow, just like Saturn's mom, who were sisters, but that's were all similarities ended. I inherited her red hair. Mer from her dad and Saturn from her mom. Obviously, all were Snow's brothers and sisters. I think Snow dyed his hair white. _

"_Grandpa couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought, I guess, that his son had finally come in form of peace, and he made them believe that. Of course, Snow is just a manipulative liar! He lied to all of them and when they trusted him again, he stabbed them in the back. First he hit Saturn's dad in the head so hard that he lost his memory. He made it look like an accident. That's how Saturn knows so much about memory loss. Of course, her father's case was worse than Peeta's, Snow even killed him a few days later, with the rest of our parents following._

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"_Snow wanted to get rid of all of us. He started with our parents and at the end he would take grandpa when he was fragile enough to not fight back. I guess Snow never imagined grandpa to be as strong as he is. Grandpa confronted him and told him to leave us alone. I don't know exactly what the agreement was. No one knows. And no one will know if grandpa dies."_

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**This is my first 'Katniss dream'. Tell me what you thought of it.**

**Review?**


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